2011 YEAR IN REVIEW
This is the third year for the YEAR IN REVIEW website summary. All information in this book represents the information that has been on the USAWA website throughout the past year. It contains all Daily News Stories, pictures, and announcements. It contains most meet results – the only results that may be missing are those that were an attachment to a story as a document. The format and layout of this book may not be perfect as it was simply copied from the website, with very little editing. That is why there is print in areas that represent links to other information which could be accessed on the website.
I want to thank all the contributing writers to the USAWA Daily News throughout this past year: Thom Van Vleck, John McKean, Dennis Mitchell, Joe Garcia, Dale Friesz, Larry Traub, and Dave Glasgow. Without the contributions of these other writers, everyone would soon get tired of listening to only me ramble on! Enjoy!
MISSION STATEMENT
The USAWA was formed to continue the long standing tradition of old-time weightlifters like Eugen Sandow, Louis Cyr, Arthur Saxon, Hermann Goerner, Warren Lincoln Travis, and many others. We strive to preserve the history of the original forms of weightlifting, which in the past has been referred to as “odd lifting”. Many of the lifts we perform are based on stage acts or challenge lifts of old-time strongmen.
HISTORY
The USAWA was organized in 1987 and was a charter member of the International All-Round Weightlifting Association. The USAWA has over 150 recognized lifts and 8000 plus records, so any strength athlete can find their niche. We have a drug testing program to encourage drug free lifting. Numerous local meets and a National competition are held each year to find true “all-round” weightlifters.
USAWA OFFICERS AND SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT DIRECTORS
President: Denny Habecker 637 North 11th Avenue Lebanon, PA 17046 Phone: 717-272-5077
Vice President: Chad Ullom 1219 SW Warren Avenue Topeka, KS 66604 Phone: 785-233-2466
Secretary/Treasurer: Al Myers 1126 Eden Road Abilene, KS 67410 Phone: 785-479-2264 Webmaster: Al Myers 1126 Eden Road Abilene, KS 67410 Phone: 785-479-2264 email: [email protected]
Assistant Webmaster: Thom Van Vleck 23958 Morgan Road Greentop, MO 63546
Executive Board: Denny Habecker, Chad Ullom, Al Myers, Dennis Mitchell, and Scott Schmidt
Records Director: Joe Garcia
Officials Director: Joe Garcia
Drug Enforcement Director: Chad Ullom
Awards Director: Al Myers
Membership Roster edit page
The following individuals have paid membership fees to the USAWA and have signed the Drug Testing
Waiver. The individuals on this Membership Roster are current members for 2011. Membership in the
USAWA is for the calendar year, which starts on the first day of January and ends on the last day of
December. Current membership is required in the USAWA to compete in any USAWA sanctioned event or competition. Meet Directors are responsible for making sure that the competitors in their event or competition are current members. If meet results are turned in for individuals that are not current USAWA members, these lifters will not be listed in the meet results, and will not be eligible for placings or USAWA records.
The USAWA will no longer issue membership cards. This Membership Roster will be kept up to date so
Meet Directors can use it to verify current memberships, and for individuals to confirm their membership status. 2011 USAWA Membership Roster
(list includes Club Affiliation and Date Joined)
Anderson, Chris (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Baines, Tyler – May 14th
Ballengee, Tom – August 20th
Barnett, Orie (Christstrength Gym) – January 13th
Barnhart, Darren (Dino Gym) – February 21st
Barten, Casey (Dino Gym) – February 13th
Berry, Nolan (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Beversdorf, Dave (Clark’s Gym) – January 23rd
Bletscher, Rudy (Dino Gym) – January 1st
Bonifacio, Robert (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – May 14th
Bryan, Barry (Habecker’s Gym) – October 22nd
Cadwallader, Mike (The Welcome Mat) – November 5th
Campbell, Scott (Dino Gym) – March 22nd
Ciavattone, Frank (Frank’s Barbell Club) – January 1st
Ciavattone, Frank III (Frank’s Barbell Club) – January 1st
Ciavattone, Jeff (Frank’s Barbell Club) – August 8th
Ciavattone, Joe Jr.(Joe’s Gym) – January 8th
Ciavattone, Joe Sr. (Joe’s Gym) – January 8th
Ciavattone, Jonathon (Joe’s Gym) – January 8th
Clark, Bill (Clark’s Gym) – January 18th Clark, Casey (Clark’s Gym) – January 18th
Cook, Monica (Team Cramer) – September 1st
Cookson, Chuck (Dino Gym) – February 13th
Cookson, Matt (Dino Gym) – February 13th
Cookson, Tyeler (Dino Gym) – February 13th
Costello, Joe (JWC) – October 17th
Cox, Sam (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Cramer, Les (Team Cramer) – June 25th
Dedas, Blake – May 14th
Dellanave, David (Movement Minneapolis) – June 21st
Durniat, Andrew – April 26th
Edwards, Ben (Dino Gym) – January 26th
Fobes, Jarrod (The Welcome Mat) – September 16th
Fobes, Karena (The Welcome Mat) – November 5th
Foster, Lance (Dino Gym) – January 1st
Friesz, Dale (M & D Gym) – January 1st
Fuller, James (JR’s Strength Emporium) – April 28th
Ganong, Ray – October 4th
Garcia, Joe (Clark’s Gym) – January 15th
Geib, Bob (Prechtel AC) – June 25th
Glasgow, Amber (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – January 9th
Glasgow, Dave (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – January 9th Habecker, Denny (Habecker’s Gym) – January 1st
Habecker, Judy (Habecker’s Gym) – January 1st
Hess, Kohl (Habecker’s Gym) – March 2nd
Houk, Jason – October 16th
Ibrahim, Sammy – April 22nd
Jividen, Grace (The Welcome Mat) – November 5th
Kahn, Helen (Randy’s Gym) – January 9th
Krenzin, Brian (Dino Gym) – February 13th
Krenzin, Chris (Dino Gym) – February 13th
Krenzin, Tyler (Dino Gym) – February 13th
LaPointe, Roger (Atomic Athletic) – March 22nd
Lokken, Cody (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Malloy, Jim – January 1st
Marcantino Jr., Guy – October 16th
McKean, Andraes (Ambridge BBC) – October 16th
McKean, John (Ambridge BBC) – March 12th
Mitchell, Dennis – January 1st
Mitchell, Mark (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Montague-Casillas, Thomas (Atomic Athletic) – April 1st
Montini, Art (Ambridge BBC) – January 8th
Morton, Russ (Dino Gym) – August 27th
Murdock, Mike (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – January 1st Myers, Al (Dino Gym) – January 1st
Myers, Emily (Dino Gym) – July 31st
Myers, Molly (Dino Gym) – July 31st
Myers, LaVerne (Dino Gym) – January 15th
O’Brien, John (JWC) – January 15th
O’Brien, Mike (Joe’s Gym) – January 8th
Policky, Frank (The Welcome Mat) – November 5th
Polzin, David – June 7th
Rice, Chris – May 27th
Richardson, Sean – June 7th
Rodriguez, Felix – May 14th
Rogowski, Michael – April 20th
Root, Andy – October 16th
Rosenstern, Phil (Ambridge BBC) – March 12th
Ross, Dean (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Roth, Adam – May 14th
Satterfield, D.J. – January 7th
Schmidt, Kathy (Schmidt Barbell Club) – October 15th
Schmidt, Scott (Schmidt Barbell Club) – January 1st
Schmidt, Steve (Clark’s Gym) – February 23rd
Sees, Susan (Prechtel AC) – June 25th
Simms, Felecia (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – January 9th Smith, Randy (Randy’s Gym) – January 1st
Springs, Al (Clark’s Gym) – March 27th
Sweet, Angela – October 16th
Titkemeier, Andrew (Atomic Athletics) – July 8th
Todd, Eric (KC Strongman) – January 15th
Traub, Drew (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – May 14th
Traub, Larry (Ledaig Heavy Athletics) – January 9th
Tully, Scott (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Ullom, Chad (Dino Gym) – January 15th
Van Vleck, Tedd (JWC) – January 1st
Van Vleck, Thom (JWC) – January 1st
Vincent, Richard – January 7th
Walter, Chris – January 15th
Watkins, Shannon – June 7th
Whitley, David – May 21st
Wilkens, Kurt – January 9th
Wilmot, John – January 1st Member Clubs edit page
There are several clubs registered as club members of the USAWA. The following is a list of current active clubs registered for 2011.
Current Member Clubs Al’s Dino Gym – (2003-2011) Location: Abilene, Kansas Contact: Al Myers Website: http://www.dinogym.shuttlepod.org/ Club Certificate – Dino Gym
Ambridge VFW Barbell Club – (1993-2011) Location: Ambridge, Pennsylvania Contact: Art Montini Club Certificate – Ambridge VFW BBC
Atomic Athletic- (2011) Location: Bowling Green, Ohio Contact: Roger LaPointe Website: http://atomicathletic.com/ Club Certificate – Atomic Athletic
Clark’s Championship Gym – (1989-2011) Location: Columbia, Missouri Contact: Bill Clark Club Certificate – Clarks Gym
Frank’s Barbell Club – (2010-2011) Location: Walpole, Massachusetts Contact: Frank Ciavattone Jr. Club Certificate – Franks BBC
Habecker’s Gym – (2010-2011) Location: Lebanon, Pennsylvania Contact: Denny Habecker Club Certificate – Habeckers Gym
Jackson Weightlifting Club – (2009-2011) Location: Kirksville, Missouri Website: http://jacksonweightliftingclub.com/ Contact: Thom Van Vleck Club Certificate – Jackson WL Club
Joe’s Gym – (2002, 2010-2011) Location: Norwood, Massachusetts Contact: Joe Ciavattone Sr. Club Certificate – Joes Gym
KC Strongman - (2011-2012) Location: Turney, Missouri Contact: Eric Todd
Ledaig Heavy Athletics – (2010-2011) Location: Winfield, Kansas Contact: Dave Glasgow Club Certificate – Ledaig Heavy Athletics
M & D Triceratops – (2011) Location: Fairfax Station, Virginia Contact: Dale Friesz Club Certificate – M&D Triceratops
Movement Minneapolis – (2011) Location: Plymouth, Minnesota Contact: David Dellanave Website: https://www.movementminneapolis.com/ Club Certificate – Movement Minneapolis
Schmidt Barbell Club – (2010-2011) Location: Westlake, Ohio Contact: Scott Schmidt Club Certificate – Schmidt Barbell Club
Team Cramer – (2011) Location: Springfield, Illinois Contact: Les Cramer Website: http://www.teamcramer.com/ Club Certificate – Team Cramer
Club of the Year Award Winners
2010 Club of the Year – Habecker’s Gym, Runner Up – Ambridge VFW BBC
2009 Club of the Year - Dino Gym, Runner Up – Ambridge VFW BBC
Past Clubs Bob’s Lifting News – (1997-2003) Braveheart WLC – (2000-2003) Jump Stretch – (2002-2003) Heartland Armwrestling – (2009-2010) New England All-Rounders -(1993-1999, 2004-2007) Olympic Health Club Cleveland – (2001) Powerzone – (2000-2007) Prechtel’s AC – (1991-2004) SE Pennsylvania – (2005) Valley Forge WLC – (1989-1995)
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Hall Of Fame edit page
The highest honor in the USAWA is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The following are the current Hall of Fame Members. To be eligible for induction, a person must make significant contributions in the leadership, support or promotion of the USAWA or achieve outstanding success as a competitor at the National or World level. Biographies for some Hall of Fame Members are located in the USAWA Hall of Fame category.
Class of 2010
Scott Schmidt
Class of 2003
Bill DiCioccio
Class of 2002
Dale Friesz
Class of 2001
Rex Monahan
Class of 2000 Bob Hirsh
Class of 1999
Bill Clark
John McKean
Class of 1997
Denny Habecker
Joe Garcia
Dennis Mitchell
Chris Waterman
Deanna Springs
Class of 1996
Frank Ciavattone
Joe Ciavattone
Jim Malloy
John Vernacchio
Class of 1993
John Grimek
Art Montini
Howard Prechtel
Noi Phumchaona
Steve Schmidt
Ed Zercher
Comments are closed. Scoring Information edit page
The USAWA has several bodyweight classes and age group classes for lifters to compete in. Any lifter may find a class to compete in where the competition is against other lifters of the same bodyweight and age. The USAWA has three main age groups which are the Junior, Senior, and Masters age groups. A lifters age is determined by the lifters actual age the day of the competition. The Junior age group includes lifters who have not reached their 20th birthday. The Junior age groups may be further split into smaller age groups. These include 13 and under, 14-15,16-17, and 18-19. The Senior age group includes lifters who are between the ages of 20-39. The Master age group includes lifters who are over the age of 40. Master age groups are often split into smaller age group classes. These include 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, etc. There are 19 bodyweight classes, beginning at 40 kilograms. There is a new bodyweight class for every 5 kilograms above 40 kilograms until 125 kilograms is reached. Lifters above 125 kilograms compete in the unlimited class. At the National Championships, lifters compete in one of these 19 weight classes within the smallest split of age groups for class placings. Best lifter awards are given for each age group and is determined by formula adjusting the lifter’s total for bodyweight and age. For local competitions, the Meet Director is in charge of how the scoring is done for each competition and the type of awards given. The Meet Director may combine different weight classes or age groups to make different divisions. The Meet Director may have all the lifters compete against each other, in which the lifter’s total is formula adjusted for bodyweight and age. The method for adjusting for bodyweight and age is this:
1st – Make the bodyweight adjustment. This is done by using the Lynch Formula. The Lynch Formula is:
Lynch Points = Total Weight Lifted x Lynch Factor
The Lynch Factor is a coefficient that corresponds to a lifter’s bodyweight. The intent of the Lynch Formula is to create a fair way of comparing all lifters, regardless of bodyweight. The Lynch Factor Chart contains the Lynch Factors. If a lifter’s bodyweight is weighed in pounds, it must be converted to kilograms to find the appropriate Lynch Factor. This conversion is: 1 Kilogram = 2.20462262 Pounds. It is advisable to use at least 3 decimal places to make this conversion.
2nd – Make the age adjustment. For the Junior and Masters classes, an adjustment is made for age. The formula for the age adjustment is this:
Age adjusted Lynch Points = Lynch Points + (Age Percent x Lynch Points)
This provides a handicap for the Junior and Master lifters. The Age Percent for a Junior is this: 12 and under – 33% 13 – 25% 14 – 20% 15 – 15% 16 – 10% 17 – 5% 18 – 3% 19 – 2%
The Age Percent for a Master is 1% for each year of age starting at 40. So, a lifter of 40 years of age receives 1%, 41 years of age receives 2%, 42 years of age receives 3%, etc.
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Officials List & Rules Test edit page
The following is a list of all current USAWA Certified Officials. All competitions or events require a certified official in order for records to be set or broken. The USAWA rules require officials to be current USAWA members to be active officials. Lapse of current membership does not result in the loss of certification. The officials marked with an asterisk (*) indicate that they are not current USAWA members, and until their membership is current they can not participate in an USAWA event/meet as an active official.
Level 2 These officials have passed the USAWA Rules Test AND have the experience of officiating in 25 or more competitions.
Denny Habecker – Lifetime Certification
Bill Clark – Lifetime Certification
Joe Garcia – Lifetime Certification
* Kerry Clark – Lifetime Certification
Dennis Mitchell – Lifetime Certification
Dale Friesz – Lifetime Certification Frank Ciavattone Jr. – Lifetime Certification
Al Myers – Lifetime Certification
Jim Malloy – Lifetime Certification
Barry Bryan – Lifetime Certification
Joe Ciavattone Sr. – Lifetime Certification
Level 1 These officials have passed the USAWA Rule Test OR have the experience of officiating in 25 or more competitions.
Level 1 – Test Qualified
Darren Barnhart – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Kurt Wilkens - Certification expires June 26, 2013
Mark Mitchell - Certification expires June 26, 2013
Scott Tully – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Thom Van Vleck – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Chad Ullom – Certification expires June 26, 2013
* Mary McConnoughey – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Randy Smith – Certification expires June 26, 2013
* James Foster – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Eric Todd – Certification expires June 26, 2013
* Mike McBride – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Ben Edwards – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Dave Glasgow – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Mike Murdock – Certification expires July 23rd, 2013
Helen Kahn – Certification expires January 10th, 2014
Myers, LaVerne – Certification expires May 5th, 2014 Habecker, Judy – Certification expires August 2nd, 2014
Fobes, Jarrod – Certification expires November 2nd, 2014
Foster, Lance – Certification expires December 3rd, 2014
Level 1 – Experience Qualified
Steve Schmidt – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Art Montini – Certification expires June 26, 2013
John McKean – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Scott Schmidt – Certification expires June 26, 2013
* John Monk – Certification expires June 26, 2013
* John Vernacchio – Certification expires June 26, 2013
Mike O’Brien – Certification expires June 26, 2013
If you are interested in becoming an USAWA Official, the first step is to pass the Rules Test. This is an open book exam over the rules in the Rule Book. There is no time limit in taking the test or limit on the number of times you may take the test. You must have a score over 90% to pass. The following is the Rules Test in different formats.
PDF: RULES TEST
Word Document (New): RULES TEST
Word Document (97-03): RULES TEST
Text: RULES TEST
Joe Garcia is the USAWA Official’s Chairman. All completed Rules Tests are to be sent to him for grading. The completed rules test may be mailed or emailed to Joe. If you pass, Joe will issue you an Official’s Card and notify me to list you on the Website as a current official.
Joe Garcia 20051 Old Hwy 63 North Sturgeon, Missouri 65284 email: [email protected]
2010 USAWA Highlights
January 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
2010 is now behind us – and it’s time to start looking forward to All-Round Weightlifting in 2011. I want to thank everyone who already sent in their 2011 USAWA memberships. Sixteen of the most “die-hard” USAWA members have their memberships in so they can have the “January 1st” designation beside their name on the USAWA membership roster. Memberships in the USAWA run for the calendar year, so you might as well join early because there is not a discount for waiting. 2010 was a “decent” year for memberships – the last count yielded 61 USAWA members. Pretty much what it has been for the past several years. Not the highest, but not the lowest either. I know we have our critics who say our organization might as well “hang up our lifting shoes” and “throw in the towel”. I disagree. We haven’t been over 100 members since the year 2000 – when we topped at 122 members. The USAWA has NEVER had over 200 members a year. So we are far from being “down for the count”. I want to mention just a few of the exciting highlights that have happened in the USAWA in the year 2010 that SHOW the USAWA is very much alive!
1. USAWA Club Membership hit an ALL-TIME high with 11 registered clubs.
2. 21 sanctioned competitions were held – the 2nd most of ALL-TIME.
3. The first Club Challenge was held, hosted by the Ambridge BBC – marking the BEGINNING of a new signature USAWA competition.
4. Chad Ullom won the BEST OVERALL LIFTER at the IAWA World Championships - making him only the 6th USAWA member of ALL-TIME to ever do this.
5. The USAWA Awards Program was created, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments amongst the USAWA lifters throughout the year.
6. The membership approved new USAWA bylaws which outline (for the first time) how our organization operates.
7. We seen record growth in our USAWA Officials Program, which now has 32 USAWA Certified Officials. 8. Scott Schmidt was inducted into the USAWA Hall of Fame, which marked the RETURN of the USAWA Hall of Fame Program that was inactive for close to 10 years.
9. 561 USAWA Records were set – the 5th highest in a year in our history.
10 . Our USAWA website now averages over 250 “hits” per day – and is GROWING!
Those are just 10 things that quickly came to my mind from 2010. It sure doesn’t sound like we are a dying organization to me? Next year I would like to see us over 100 members again. My opinion is that we don’t have to have a thousand members, or 10,000 members, to be successful. But because memberships is our only form of income for our organization, we do need at least 100 members to be able to finance the general overhead expenses, our Awards Program, and our Drug Testing Program. Also, we need at least that many members to insure that we have enough competitors at our big competitions so the Meet Directors won’t lose a ton of money.
2010 was a great year for the USAWA! I am very optimistic that the next year will be even better!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: USAWA
Davis lifts Dinnie Stones!
January 3, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
On December 7th, 2010, Roger Davis made a strapless lift of the Dinnie Stones.
Congratulations to Roger Davis for successfully lifting the Dinnie Stones!! On a cold, snowy day on December 7th, 2010 Roger made another trek to the Potarch Hotel, the home of the Dinnie Stones. Roger has lifted the stones before, but this time he achieved a STRAPLESS LIFT of the Dinnie Stones. The Dinnie Stones weigh 321 pounds and 413 pounds apiece. Both stones have ring handles attached which makes the grip on them a hard one to handle! It takes someone with a very strong grip to be able to hold onto them – let alone a strong back to lift the total weight of 734 pounds in a modified-Jefferson style.
Roger has been a big contributor to the IAWA, having competed in the last 3 IAWA World Championships. He is an outstanding spokesman for All-Round Weightlifting. He has had numerous articles published in MILO related to All- Round lifting. Roger is a CLASS INDIVIDUAL and I’m so glad to see him accomplish this long-standing goal of his. Way to go Roger!!!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: Dinnie Stones, Roger Davis
Never Too Old to Start Lifting
January 4, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
LaVerne Myers wins his FIRST TROPHY EVER in weightlifting, at the 2010 IAWA Gold Cup. One of the very interesting things about weight lifting is that you are never too old to start! This isn’t the case with a lot of other competitive sports. Take a sport like football or basketball – not something you could start over 60. First of all your body wouldn’t hold up to it, plus there are minimal opportunities for competition even if it could. Weightlifting is really a sport where you only compete against yourself. Sure you compete against other athletes, but you pick the attempts at weights that you know you can achieve. You only pick attempts that you have a shot at. The joys of success often come from achieving a goal that you have set for yourself. Plus, you can improve at any age in some lift. The human body is made to adapt to training, and if you are willing to “put in the time” your muscles will become stronger and you will lift more weight. I have seen all-rounders set personal records at ages most “normal folk” would have thought impossible.
Recently, my father LaVerne started competing in the USAWA. He had competed in a few of my gym records days in the past, but just this year he has entered some USAWA competitions. He is 66 – not the age you would assume someone would start an athletic career! But he has had tremendous success. Last spring he placed 5th overall at the Dino Gym Grip Challenge amongst a very strong field. He even tied for the top Weaver Stick lift of the day. This past November he accompanied me to the 2010 IAWA Gold Cup in Walpole – and of course he competed! He very successfully set an IAWA World Record in the One Arm Ciavattone Grip Deadlift. He was astounded that he set a World Record – something he would never have thought possible a few years ago before he became involved with the USAWA. He should be an example for others as to what one can achieve in the USAWA! You DO NOT need to have a lifetime of lifting under your belt to enjoy the successes of competitive weightlifting in the USAWA. You can start NOW!! I welcome ANYONE of any age to give the USAWA a try – and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Since my father’s involvement of competing in the USAWA, that now makes FOUR generations of the Myers family that have competed within the USAWA. Has this been done before?? I’m sure it has but I would like to know. If anyone knows of another family that has done this please email me ([email protected]) about them so I can share it with the readers of the USAWA Daily News.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: LaVerne Myers, USAW The Brothers, Good
January 5, 2011 | Authored by Dennis Mitchell | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
The Brothers, Good - Walter, Bill and Harry
Bill Good was born May 14, 1910, in Reemstown PA. He was the strongest of the three brothers. He won seven National Championships, and competed in two Olympic Games, placing fourth in the 1936 games held in Berlin Germany. He was the first American lifter to clean and jerk 350 pounds. He was featured on the cover of one of the earliest Iron Man magazines. Brother Walter was born Jan. 27, 1908. He also competed in the 1936 Olympics in the 75 kilo class. He was also featured on the cover of several body building magazines in the 1930’s. Harry Good, no date of birth could be found for him, was the best in grip strength, and could do a one finger lift of 450 pounds. Another of his feats was to do a self loading leg press of 380 pounds, balancing the weight on one foot. He claimed to be the American Professional Weightlifting champion in 1933. He also established the Good Barbell Company, and published a barbell training course. The Good Dumbbell, the worlds heaviest dumbbell weighing 2,150 pounds, at one time belonged to Warren Lincoln Travis. Bill could do a harness lift with it until he was over 90 year old. He passed away April 19, 2007. Brother Walter died July 8, 2001. No date could be found Harry.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: Good Brothers, Oldtime Strongman
Polar Bear Plunge 2011
January 6, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Thom after a refreshing dip! by Thom Van Vleck
It’s the first day of winter and it’s always this time of year that I begin to think about a nice swim in our nearby lake! Last year I wrote an article for the USAWA board on cold water bathing and the possible therapeutic effects along with my “polar bear plunge” for charity. It was great fun and we are doing it again. This year I have a team of students from A.T. Still University taking the plunge with me. We will be known as the JWC Highlanders and we will be wearing kilts. Our theme will be, “What’s a true scotsman wear under his kilt” and as we run into the water we will “whip” our kilts off and jump in! Of course, you will have to come to see the answer to that question….the word “regimental” comes to mind….USAWA Secretary Al Myers will know all about that!!! We will be collecting donations for the Special Olympics so any donation is appreciated! Our goal is $250.
Last year the ice was 14" thick! I was the last one out!
I still do my “snow bathing”. When there’s no snow, I take cold water showers and then hit the sauna, often making a couple trips back and forth. But the best is when there is snow on the ground and it’s below zero outside. You go in and get warmed to the core in the sauna and then go outside and rub snow all over until you are numb. Then go in and hit the sauna! I go back and forth at least twice. I TRULY believe this makes me healthier and helps with recovery. When I feel a little under the weather, I do this as often as possible, spending extra time in the sauna and it seems I never get sick when I do this. I have read where the heat in the sauna causes you to run an “artificial” fever helping your body destroy whatever is attacking it. It could be all in my head, but then again the brain is the most powerful weapon we have in our fight to be stronger so even if it is, it’s worth it to me! At the least, I’m refreshed and wide awake. Now I get to combine what I already do with a charitable event, can’t beat that. Any takers for my team? It’s the first Saturday in February!!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: Polar Bear Plunge, Thom Van Vleck
Bill Good and the Good Dumbbell
January 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Bill Good and the Good Dumbbell.
Dennis Mitchell’s story on the Good Brothers got me thinking about the Good Dumbbell, and the brother who made it famous – Bill. Bill would often celebrate his birthday every year by Harness Lifting the Good Dumbbell for repetitions. He did this up to the age of 90 years. In 1986 on Bill’s 76th birthday, he promised to lift the dumbbell 76 times, one rep for each year of age. This “stunt” was picked up by television and was well publicized. He easily exceeded this mark. The Good Dumbbell has a storied history, encompassing more than one famous strongman. The Good Brothers purchased it from an Oldtime Strongman who’s name is embedded in the history of the USAWA, and of which we have a lift named after. This man was Warren Lincoln Travis, and it is reported they purchase it from him for $110 in 1929. The Good Dumbbell was displayed publicly for many years at the Crystal Spring Water Company in Adamstown, PA. Around 2007, the Good Dumbbell went missing. No one knew what happened to it for a couple of years. Luckily, the new owner has made it known that the Good Dumbbell is in “safe keeping” and hopefully in the future it will once again be on display.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: Bill Good, Good Dumbbell, Harness Lift, Oldtime
The Heavy Lift Bar
January 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Steve Schmidt, arguable the BEST OVERALL Heavy Lift lifter in the history of the USAWA, maxes a Heavy Lift Bar out with plates in the Hip Lift under the watchful eye of Bill Clark.
A very unique bar that we use in the USAWA (and is ONLY used by our organization) is the Heavy Lift Bar. Often a lot of mystery surrounds this bar. You will see ads on various websites advertising the sale of heavy lift bars, but in most cases these bars DO NOT meet our rules specifications. The Heavy Lift Bar is used for the Heavy Lifts – which include lifts like the Harness Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, Hip Lift, and Neck Lift. Our new updated Rule Book contains the specifications for the Heavy Lift Bar, which were not included in the previous Rule Book. Section V.I. 22 of the USAWA Rule Book states this regarding the Heavy Lift Bar:
The Heavy Lift Bar must meet the following specifications.
• The diameter of the bar must be a minimum of 1 15/16 inches.
• The bar may be a pipe or solid steel shaft.
• The maximum length of the inside sleeve is 16 inches.
• The maximum length of the bar is 8 ½ feet and the minimum length of the bar is 7 feet.
• Only one hook is allowed on the bar, located in the center.
• The bar must be straight.
• The weight of the bar must be clearly marked.
• The bar must contain no revolving sleeves.
A brand new Heavy Lift Bar that I made specifically to be used at the 2011 USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals, to be held in York, PA on May 21st. The most common problem with “other” Heavy Lift Bars is they often contain TWO HOOKS. Our Official Heavy Lift Bar can have only one – located in the center – which obviously makes the balance of the lifts much more difficult! The Heavy Lift Bar requires several accessories. Proper hooks for attachments are needed, along with bar lifters to make loading easier. Special harnesses and belts are needed, depending on which lift is being performed. The shaft of the Heavy Lift Bar is a solid cold roll bar, of diameter 1 15/16 inches. A hollow pipe would never hold up – it would bend (or break) immediately! I am always surprised how much the solid Heavy Lift Bar will bend under loads of over 2000 pounds! All of the Heavy Lift Bars that we use in the USAWA are home-made or custom-made. Only a handful of gyms have one – the Dino Gym, Clark’s Gym, Habecker’s Gym, Ambridge BBC, Frank’s Barbell Club, M & D Gym, Schmidt’s Barbell Club, and the JWC. OK – so most ALL of the Member Clubs of the USAWA have one!! The Heavy Lift Bar will be featured exclusively at this year’s Heavy Lift Nationals in York, PA on May 21st with the Neck Lift, Hip Lift and Hand and Thigh Lift being contested. If you want to give the Heavy Lifts a try, and in the process get introduced to the Heavy Lift Bar, just sign up for this competition!
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: Heavy Lift Bar, Hip Lift, Steve Schmidt, USAWA
USAWA Drug Testing Program
January 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Over the past year, several changes have been made to our drug testing program. I feel these changes have been VERY POSITIVE to insure that our organization may be called a drug-free weightlifting organization. Last year at the Annual General Meeting of the USAWA we elected a Drug Enforcement Director. Chad Ullom was selected for this role. The Drug Enforcement Director is under the direction of the Executive Board, as outlined in the USAWA Bylaws. He is the “man in charge” of insuring that drug testing is carried out at competitions and maintaining a vigilant testing program. Last year we tested four USAWA events (the most events EVER tested in one year in the USAWA). This year more events will be tested than that. Our Drug Testing Program was started in 2002. Before that it was “hit and miss”. At times meets were tested, but not with any consistency. No written policy was in affect. The biggest obstacle in drug testing is expense. For a small organization like ours, too much testing expense will break our bank account! In 2009 we spent over $3000 in testing – and we tested ONLY TWO COMPETITIONS! Last year we spent around $1000, which is our “budget” for this year. A good Drug Testing Program has to be able to get “the most value for a dollar”. I feel we are now going in the right direction with that.
I have always had problems with weightlifting organizations who tout themselves as “drug free” but never test at meets. How can you be a drug-free organization without testing? YOU CAN’T!!! You MUST sign a Drug Testing Consent and Waiver Form to be granted membership in the USAWA. In the waiver it states, “I understand that selection for testing may be based on random selection, reasonable suspicion, or position of finish in an event. I further understand that I may be selected for testing for no reason at all.” This means you may selected “just cause we feel like it.”! We WILL NOT pretend to be doing random testing if it’s not random! I have an issue with that concerning other organizations – proclaiming to be doing random testing but in reality lifters are selected for reasons other than random! Seems hypocritical to me. I am pretty sure that I have been “the most tested man in the USAWA” since 2002. I don’t know of anyone else that has been tested as many times as myself. I never mind being selected for testing because I know a good drug testing program insures that my competition is drug free as well. Most drug-free athletes feel the same way.
Several drug tests will be performed at the Dino Gym Challenge next weekend. I just want everyone who is coming to know that in advance. Now don’t think we will announce EVERY competition that we will test in advance – some will be surprises! You just have to assume that every USAWA event might be tested. We may even test at record days that have only a handful of competitors. If you are selected for testing and then “dodge the test” the penalties may be as severe as a positive test. The waiver also clearly states, “I understand that failure to appear for drug testing at the designated time will constitute withdrawal of my consent to be tested and will result in disqualification from the event and/or permanent suspension from the USAWA.”
We have a complete section in our Rule Book that outlines the USAWA Drug Testing Policy.
III. Drug Testing 1. The lifter must agree to and sign the Drug Testing Consent and Waiver Form in order to be granted membership in the USAWA.
2. The Drug Enforcement Director under the direction of the USAWA executive board will make the decisions on which competitions or events drug testing may take place, and when it may occur during the competition. The lifters may not be notified which competitions or events will be drug tested.
3. Drug testing may be done out of competition. The lifter will be notified no more than 48 hours prior to the test.
4. Drug testing will be only for elevated testosterone, anabolic agents, and anabolic enhancers. Diuretics and ephedrine are not tested for. A complete list of banned substances is available from the USAWA secretary.
5. An appeal may be made to the executive board by a lifter for an exception for a specific agent or agents. The appeal must be for medical reasons. The lifter must provide documentation supporting the appeal. This is done on an individual basis and must be done prior to a lifter being called for drug testing. The executive board’s decision will be decided by majority vote.
6. A positive test will result in a 6 month suspension from the USAWA for the first offense. All awards, records, and titles won will be forfeited if the positive test occurred in a competition.
7. A second offense for a positive test will result in a 2 year suspension from the USAWA.
8. A third offense for a positive test will result in a lifetime ban from the USAWA.
Truthfully, I hope that we don’t have any positive drug tests in the coming year. That is the reason why I am making this very clear to everyone! If you are in violation – please don’t enter any USAWA competition because you will be caught.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: USAWA Drug Testing
Habecker’s Gym – Club of the Year
January 10, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Habecker’s Gym is the 2010 Club of the Year
Denny and Judy Habecker have promoted several big meets in the USAWA. This picture of them was taken at the 2009 IAWA World Championships, which they promoted in Lebanon, PA.
It’s official! The year 2010 is wrapped up, and after all points have been tallied, Habecker’s Gym wins the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year. Ambridge VFW BBC was the runner-up, for the second year in a row. Last year the Ambridge Club placed second in the Club Race behind the Dino Gym. As per the Club of the Year rules, the defending Club Award winner is not eligible the following year and instead is responsible for presenting the award and passing the title to the next year’s winner.
Habecker’s Gym is a club gym operated and owned by our USAWA President Denny Habecker. 2010 was the first year Denny registered his club as a Member Club of the USAWA, and in return, immediately wins the USAWA Club of the Year by upsetting the perennial power Ambridge BBC. Habecker’s Gym has 5 registered club members – Denny, Judy Habecker, Barry Bryan, Andrew Hess, and Kohl Hess. Denny and Habecker’s Gym hosted the 2010 USAWA National Championships in Lebanon, PA. The final standings were:
1. Habecker’s Gym – 26 points
2. Ambridge BBC – 19 points
3. Frank’s Barbell Club – 17 points
4. Clark’s Gym – 16 points
5. JWC – 12 points
The 2010 USAWA Club of the Year Award will be awarded at this coming years National Championship, in Kirksville, Missouri. Congratulations to Denny and Judy and all members of Habecker’s Gym!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
One Hand Snatch
January 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Arthur Saxon
Position 1 - One Hand Snatch
Place yourself in position 1 (see illustration), and as you pull strongly with the right hand and shoulder, press as hard as you can with the left hand on the left knee. Then when the weight has reached a fair height, dip beneath same, the eyes to be all the time on the weight. The secret of this lift is to use as many muscles as possible at the same time, that is, you press with your legs, pull with your arm, and push with the disengaged one, also pull with the shoulder and jerk with the back, suddenly, when the weight is over your head, dipping beneath same, and throwing it a little to the back. There are two positions possible in snatching the weight, either of which are good, and both of which I will describe.
Position 2 - One Hand Snatch
One is to keep the body perpendicular and dip cleanly beneath the weight, the other is to suddenly fall to one side as in the bent press, when the bar is about the height of your head, and so place a straight arm beneath the weight, after which you recover to an erect position. The benefit and advantage in this latter position being, given a a man who is enormously strong and a good side presser, if his arm should not go in the first attempt quite straight, then he may finish up the last inch or two by the body press, that is if no objection be made by referee or opponents in competition. A variation of this is to snatch the bell overhead with two hands instead on one, the hands being held the same distance apart as in the double-handed barbell lift. Those anxious to practice the single-handed lift all the way, as in the English Amateur Championship Competition, will find my instructions as to the snatch are, in reversed, directly applicable to the initial pull- in to the shoulder. All that you have to do is place your hand on the bar with the palm to the front instead of to the back, then pull the bell up to the chest, stepping back with the left leg if pulling in with the right hand, and exerting as many muscles as possible as described.
NOTE: – In all these positions where the weight is lifted to the shoulder from off the ground, the arm must NOT be bent at the first portion of the pull.
CREDIT: The Development of Physical Power by Arthur Saxon
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts | Tags: Arthur Saxon, One Arm Snatch, One Hand Snatch,
2011 USAWA Nationals Photo Project
January 12, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
If you haven’t marked it on you calendar yet, put a big circle around June 25th right now! I am hoping to do the USAWA proud hosting the USAWA Nationals this year. I will have Al Myers as my “consultant” to make sure I don’t screw this up. Al is an unpaid consultant, so I have to be careful I don’t get my money’s worth! But seriously, we are looking to do some cool things this year.
One idea that I would like to do will require some help from all you! I want to have a powerpoint going that will be projecting pictures from the great history of the USAWA onto a wall nearby or even behind the lifting area. So, I’m asking all of you to submit photos to me or Al. You can send me a photograph or photographs, you can attach them to an e-mail, you can send me a CD with photos, just get them in and we’ll put them in the rotation! I think it would add to the inspiration of the meet to have these photos scrolling on the wall while the meet goes on! I will also have someone photographing every lift of the meet. These lifts plus the historic lifts will be downloaded to ONE CD and will be sold for$15.
I will also have many photos, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia from the Jackson Weightlifting Club on display! I will have a special table set up for the JWC and we will have the famous (or infamous) JWC photo album out as well as some of the old trophies and medals from 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s.
More plans are coming along, so send your photos!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Last Call for Dino Challenge
January 13, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I’m going to make one last “plug” for the Dino Challenge, which is this coming Saturday. This is a meet you DO NOT want to miss! It is the FIRST EVER Oldtime Strongman Competition sanctioned by the USAWA. There is no entry deadline for this one – so at this point just SHOW UP and ENTER! Even if you don’t feel prepared for it, enter and have a fun day lifting. You will be glad you did. This Oldtime Strongman Competition will be quite different than other strongman competitions. Modern strongman equipment and apparatuses will not be used – such as Atlas stones, steel logs, and steel yokes. Instead, each event is based on a strength feat of an Oldtime Strongman. Also, the rules of the USAWA will be followed in regards to scoring, which are much different than other strongman competitions. Each lifters total poundage will be adjusted for bodyweight and age. Another big difference is supportive gear is NOT ALLOWED, with the exception of belts and wrist wraps. This means no elbow or knee sleeves, no supportive shorts, and no knee or elbow wraps. Chalk may be used – but no tacky. This competition will be drug tested. The USAWA is a drug free organization and all Oldtime Strongman Competitions sanctioned by the USAWA will be tested (which is ALSO different from other strongman competitions). There is no entry fee to enter, but you must be a member of the USAWA. Membership dues are $25 and you may join on Saturday. I will have forms available. This Oldtime Strongman Competition is gearing up to be one of the largest attended meets in recent history in the USAWA. Come and be part of it!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Dino Strongman Challenge
January 17, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET RESULTS -
THE DINO GYM’S OLD-TIME STRONGMAN CHALLENGE
Group picture of the 2011 Dino Gym's "Old-time Strongman" Challenge.
WOW!!!! That sums up this past weekend. I have to admit – I was a little nervous before this meet – and not because I was competing, but because I wanted this meet to be a big success considering it was the FIRST EVER Old-time Strongman Competition sanctioned by the USAWA. I feel VERY relieved now. The competition exceeded my expectations by far. The field of competitors consisted of 18 athletes determined to take on this challenge issued by the Dino Gym. There have been only a handful of USAWA competitions in the last 10 years that have had more than this number of competitors entered. I want to thank everyone who showed up to compete, officiate, or help. Without this group effort, this event would never have been the successful event it was. We also have to thank Mother Nature for sending the snow days earlier in the week as to avoid any travel complications.
Where do I start with this report? So much happened over the weekend that it will be impossible to cover everything. The lifting performances were UNREAL. The women’s class had only one entrant – Felecia Simms. Felecia is primarily a Highland Game athlete who decided to give All-Round Weightlifting a try in her off-season. In her USAWA debut, she definitely turned some heads! She hit 90# in the Cyr Press, with two close misses with a 100# dumbbell. Both times she had the 100# overhead but just couldn’t hold the lockout. I have two broken 100# dumbbells to attest to this fact! Don’t let this bother you Felecia – because the two broken dumbbells are worth the story I’m going to tell about this from now one! I’ll even have them fixed by the next time you are at the Dino Gym and I’ll let you try that 100# dumbbell again.
I was very pleased to have two teenagers enter in the Junior Class. These two very strong 16 year olds, Cody Lokken and Nolan Berry, showed great promise as all-rounders. This was the first time either of them had seen these events, but they picked up on things pretty darn fast! Cody edged out Nolan by 15 pounds in the total to take the overall Junior Title. They both seemed to get stronger as the meet went along, and both finished with strong lifts in the Dinnie Lift (355 pounds) and the Goerner Stroll (270 pounds). Hopefully, I can keep them interested in the All-Rounds because I know with a little more specific event training they will have great success. Young lifters like these guys are the future of our sport, and when you see potential like what they have, you need to encourage it.
The over 60 mens masters class was hotly contested. Three VERY STRONG lifting elders duked it out – Rudy Bletscher, Mike Murdock, and Dean Ross. Dean (the youngest of the bunch at 68) pulled out the victory in the end with his great performance in the Dinnie Lift and the Goerner Stroll. His 425# Dinnie Lift was tops in the group as well as his 270# Goerner Stroll. Mike ended up in second place, and in the process avenged his loss to Rudy at the Goerner Deadlift last month. I am sure there will be more match-ups between Rudy and Mike in the future, and I just love watching these two guys push each other. Dean is not a newcomer to the USAWA as he has competed in several of my Dino Challenges in the past. Dean would do well in ANY all-round competition anywhere. He has overall body strength and doesn’t appear to have any strength weaknesses. The over 40 mens masters class also was a tough one. Seven very seasoned strength athletes were in this group, all with different strength backgrounds. Before it started, it would have been a guess as to who would win. I was able to get the victory, mainly on the performance of my Goerner Stroll as the last event. I didn’t get what I wanted on the Dinnie Lift, so I had to EXCEED what I wanted on the Goerner Stroll (I finished with 550#). John O’Brien had the next highest total in the group (1570#), but when the scoring was tabulated John ended up in third place behind Joe Garcia. These Oldtime Strongman meets will use USAWA scoring, which gives adjusted points for age and bodyweight, and with Joe being higher than John in the age department and less in the weight department, edged him out. I want to stress that John had an EXCEPTIONAL day, and had the TOP lift amongst this group in 3 of the 5 events, and if traditional strongman scoring was being used, he would have been the top athlete. John impressed the crowd by using my Apollon Axel Replica instead of a loaded Fulton Bar like the rest of the lifters used (which is WAY harder to clean because of the fixed wheels and the fight against rotation), yet he ended up with the BEST Apollon’s Lift at 300 pounds. I consider this lift of his as one the highlight lifts of the meet. Joe really surprised me with his performance. I didn’t know for sure how Joe would do with these strongman events, and whether his back would hold up. (haha – just kiddin you Joe!). But he finished with a 560# Dinnie Lift and on a fourth extra attempt got 600 pounds! Fourth place went to the 2009 USAWA Newcomer of the Year Dave Glasgow. Dave was solid in every event and is showing progress as an All-Rounder. Fifth place went to D.J. Satterfield, and 6th place went to Richard “Vince” Vincent. Both of these guys made the trip together from Omaha, Nebraska and I can just imagine the good natured banter between them over this on the way home! These two made the competition in our group lots of fun – as both seemed to really enjoy themselves and it spilled over to the rest of us throughout the day! Thanks D.J. and Vince! You guys are great! Rounding out the group was Lance Foster. Lance is a great guy, and has attended EVERY competition the Dino Gym has held over the past few years. His outstanding work ethic and training spirit inspires me – so much I asked him if he would be a Dino Gym Member which he agreed to. Thanks Lance!
Dino Gym member Sam Cox won the Open Class and the Overall Best Lifter at the Dino Gym Challenge. Sam lifted 280 pounds in the Apollons Lift at a bodyweight of only 212 pounds.
The Open Class turned out the be “THE SHOW”. Again, a very tough field of 5 athletes were in attendance – Eric “ET” Todd, Chris Anderson, Sam Cox, Chris Walter, and Chad Ullom. I knew it would be a battle before it even started. When the chalk had finally settled and the last event was completed, the top four placings were decided by less than 15 points!! It couldn’t have been any closer than this. All four of these guys deserved to win. Sam Cox ended up the victor by only a five point margin over Eric Todd. Sam had a great day – 280# Apollon’s Lift, 150# Cyr Press, and a 655# Dinnie Lift, all of this at only 22 years of age and 212 pounds bodyweight. Sam – aren’t you glad I talked you into competing in this competition last week in the gym? I TOLD YOU that you had a good chance to win it! ET placed second, but in the process put up some UNBELIEVABLE Lifts! He had the top Apollon’s Lift of the entire day at 325 pounds, and the top Cyr press of 190 pounds. Yes – that’s 190 POUNDS and not a typo! A lift like that you have to see to believe. Chad came in third, and had the top Goerner Stroll of the entire meet at 560 pounds. He only picked that number to exceed what I did. (I’m glad for ya Champ!). After the meet was over, Chad wanted to try more in the Dinnie Lift as he knew he used up his attempts before he reached his max in the competition. Can you believe he proceeded to lift 785 pounds in the Dinnie Lift?? If he would have done that in the meet he would have won the overall! Fourth place went to Chris Anderson. Chris trains with Eric, and in the process has picked up some of Eric’s traits. The main one is that he is not afraid of ANY WEIGHT. The weights fear him. He had the top Saxon Snatch of the entire meet at 105 pounds, and tied for the top Dinnie Lift of the entire meet at 735 pounds. Also worth mentioning is his 170 pound Cyr Press. If it wasn’t for ET’s mind-blowing 190 we would be talking about Chris’s 170. Fifth place went to Chris Walter. This was Chris’s first time to the Dino Gym and did quite well, and I hope he is not discouraged by running up against these other four phenoms. Anywhere else he would have been a top placer.
Events like this are not successful unless there is “help behind the scenes”. I want to thank the officials – Scott Tully, Mark Mitchell, and Thom Van Vleck. Their judging was superb. I also want to thank the loaders – Bill Cookson and Ryan Batchmen. These two guys SHOULD have been competing, but it is really nice to have a couple of very strong guys like them to help load. It makes everything go smoother. I want to thank my daughters Katie and Molly with helping at the scoretable and organizing the silent auction to benefit the Friends of the Salina Animal Shelter. I plan to do another story about that in a few days. I also want to thank Wilbur Miller for attending this meet as a spectator. Wilbur – you are a legend in the all-rounds and you have no idea how much it means to us that you attend these competitions at the Dino Gym!
Well, I hope I covered everything! But to sum things up – this meet will go down in history as one of the best of ALL-TIME in the USAWA.
MEET RESULTS:
Dino Gym Old-Time Strongman Challenge January 15th, 2011 Dino Gym, Holland, Kansas
Meet Director: Al Myers
Officials: Scott Tully, Mark Mitchell, and Thom Van Vleck
Loaders: Ryan Batchman & Bill Cookson Events: Saxon Snatch, Apollon’s Lift, Cyr Press, Dinnie Lift, and Goerner Stroll
Women’s Class
Lifter Age BWT Saxon Apol Cyr Dinnie Stroll Total
Felecia 28 312 70 150 90 375 190 623.4 Simms
Men’s Junior Class
Lifter Age BWT Saxon Apol Cyr Dinnie Stroll Total
Cody 16 152 65 150 75 355 270 1061.8 Lokken
Nolan 16 245 65 135 75 355 270 793.5 Berry
Men’s 60+ Mens Master Class
Lifter Age BWT Saxon Apol Cyr Dinnie Stroll Total
Dean 68 281 55 135 80 425 270 932.3 Ross
Mike 70 234 70 150 60 355 190 887.0 Murdock
Rudy 75 225 45 100 50 275 190 751.9 Bletscher
Men’s 40+ Mens Master Class
Lifter Age BWT Saxon Apol Cyr Dinnie Stroll Total
Al Myers 44 250 90 270 140 630 550 1399.7
Joe Garcia 57 212 90 180 105 560 340 1301.5 John 42 279.5 100 300 150 560 460 1214.1 O’Brien
Dave 57 249.5 80 200 90 505 380 1176.1 Glasgow
D.J. 46 218 80 180 90 505 310 1062.3 Satterfield
Richard 40 305 90 220 115 575 400 1018.4 Vincent
Lance 45 329 80 180 85 505 280 832.8 Foster
Men’s Open Class
Lifter Age BWT Saxon Apol Cyr Dinnie Stroll Total
Sam Cox 22 212 95 280 150 655 520 1470.7
Eric Todd 36 256 100 325 190 735 520 1465.7
Chad 39 242 95 300 150 705 560 1460.1 Ullom
Chris 22 248 105 300 170 735 520 1457.9 Anderson
Chris 39 207.5 85 220 120 550 410 1212.7 Walter
BWT is bodyweight in pounds. Total is adjusted points corrected for age and bodyweight.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
National Postal
January 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET RESULTS –
THE 2010 USAWA NATIONAL POSTAL MEET
Dino Gym member Mark Mitchell had the highest Heels Together Clean and Press of the meet with a lift of 260 pounds.
I just received the results for the 2010 National Postal Meet from the meet director John Wilmot. I was quite surprised to see 16 lifters compete in the Grand Finale of the USAWA Postal Meet Series. The lifting was fantastic – and it goes to show what quality lifters are members of the USAWA. I have been very pleased with the participation in the postal meets this year. Much better than the year before! John picks only three lifts for each quarterly postal meet, and usually always picks lifts that anyone can do. Most of the time the meet can be completely done in under one hour in the gym – so there is really not a reason as to not compete. I just add the lifts to one of my weekly workouts every quarter.
MEET RESULTS:
National Postal Meet
December 31, 2010
Meet Director: John Wilmot
Lifts: Clean and Press – Heels Together, Curl – Cheat, Deadlift – 12″ Base
Officials:
Rudy Bletscher – Certified Official Al Myers Chad Ullom – Certified Official Al Myers Mike Murdock – Certified Official Al Myers Mark Mitchell – Certified Officials Al Myers and Scott Tully Chuck Cookson – Certified Officials Al Myers, Scott Tully, and Mark Mitchell Scott Tully – Certified Officials Al Myers and Mark Mitchell Al Myers – Certified Officials Scott Tully and Mark Mitchell Joe Ciavattone Sr. – Certified Official Mike O’Brien Jonathon Ciavattone – Certified Officials Mike O’Brien and Joe Ciavattone Sr. Joe Ciavattone Jr. – Certified Officials Mike O’Brien and Joe Ciavattone Sr. Mike O’Brien – Certified Officials Joe Ciavattone Sr. Helen Kahn – Certified Official Randy Smith Randy Smith – Witnessed by Helen Kahn John Wilmot – Witnessed by Kay Wilmot Orie Barnett – Witnessed by Samual Rogers Denny Habecker – Witnessed by Andrew Hess and Kohl Hess
Womens Division
Lifter Age BWT Press Curl Dead Total Points
Helen Kahn 58 161 65 55 125 245 296.3
Men’s Division Lifter Age BWT Press Curl Dead Total Points
Al Myers 44 246 220 200 617 1037 871.1
Chuck 40 275 255 220 656 1131 864.4 Cookson
Mark 50 357 260 220 573 1053 830.9 Mitchell
Joe 17 208 185 205 450 840 770.9 Ciavattone Jr.
Chad Ullom 39 242 203 213 501 917 739.7
Randy Smith 56 198 140 195 345 680 715.0
Scott Tully 35 344 220 179 601 1000 710.9
Orie Barnett 49 228 174 163 433 770 703.9
Denny 68 193 132 110 309 551 647.8 Habecker
Joe 42 241 200 205 365 770 641.3 Ciavattone Sr.
Jonathon 16 220 150 160 350 660 615.7 Ciavattone
Mike O’Brien 28 140 105 135 300 540 602.7
John Wilmot 63 213 105 105 340 550 588.6
Mike 70 234 135 120 265 520 559.1 Murdock
Rudy 75 220 100 100 265 465 536.3 Bletscher
NOTES: BWT (bodyweight) and all lifts are recorded in pounds. Points are bodyweight and age adjusted.
Womens Best Lifter – Helen Kahn
Mens Best Lifter – Al Myers
Best Junior Lifter – Joe Ciavattone Jr.
Categories: 2010 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Smoking & Weightlifting: Part 1
January 19, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
If smoking makes you stronger.....this guy will be the World's Strongest Man in no time! by Thom Van Vleck
When I was a kid and my Uncle’s were lifting on a regular basis I would often go the gym to watch them workout. During their workout, they would chain smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoke often filled the gym and the ash tray was next to the chalk box! I recall my Uncle Wayne, taking a drag off his cigarette, setting it on the edge of the platform (with the “cherry” end dangling off the edge) and hitting a set of Power Cleans. Then he would retrieve his cigarette and, while trying to catch his breath, take a drag off of it and then cough! Those who are under 30 won’t understand how prevalent smoking was back then. It was normal for smoking to happen everywhere. Even at weightlifting meets. It was a smokers right to light up, not the other way around like it is now! I recall going to sporting events and people lighting up right next to you, attending classes and people smoking the the classroom in college, and the only reason you wouldn’t smoke at a hospital had nothing to do with health….it was so an open flame didn’t make contact with Oxygen! Same reason for no smoking in a theater….they were worried about a fire…not people’s health!
We are now taught how bad smoking is for you. We have a lot of older lifters who used to smoke and if they didn’t, they were like me growing up with it wherever they went. Both my parents chain smoked, I can’t recall my Dad not having a cigarette dangling from his mouth! We now know just how bad second hand smoke is for you!
Today, my Dad is gone. He passed away at age 65 and I’m certain the cigarettes cost him at least 10 years. My Uncle’s Wayne and Phil, are in their 60’s as well and smoking has taken a toll. They all told me they wished they had never started. It’s an addiction and a powerful one. My point is, these were the strongest men I knew growing up. And Smoking cost them dearly…..and it cost those of us who loved them dearly. My grandfather never smoked and he lived to be 85 and was in great shape. His death was the effects of a car accident….or he probably would have lived much longer! Sure, there’s lots of factors in that….but he removed the factor that cigarettes could have played in his health and it certainly would have been negative!
We all know smoking is bad for us, but did you younger guys realize not so many years ago that being tough and strong, often meant being a smoker and if you went to a lifting meet you could expect a wall of thick smoke. David Rigert, one of the greatest Oly lifters of all time lifted in the 70’s and he often chain smoked at meets (and drank vodka in the warm up room between lifts) and would put down his cigarette to go lift! Or if you joined a gym, people would be smoking….even while lifting! Things have changed, but in this case…..for the better!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Smoking & Weightlifting: Part 2
January 20, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Hey, I'm a patriotic guy! by Thom Van Vleck
Ok, so if smoking is so bad for you why did so many lifters do it? And why were those lifters so successful while smoking. The quick answer might be that they would have been even better without cigarettes. This may surprise you, but I DISAGREE!
You may be thinking, “What! Thom is saying smoking will help your lifting”! Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Just like steroids, amphetamines, and the dozens of other drugs people use to increase their performance. But don’t confuse helping your lifting and helping your health. Also, there are better ways to achieve the same positive effects of smoking without the long term health problems that smoking brings.
First, how does smoking help. Nicotine is a stimulant. When you smoke, you are introducing a stimulant to your system. A stimulant can help you focus. By focusing, you can reduce anxiety (which is how cigarettes can calm you down when they stimulant you). Since it enters through the lungs, it is wickedly fast in how it does it and why it is so addictive. It has an incredibly fast stimulus-reward connection. But you have to remember, there’s a DIFFERENCE between short term and long term benefits.
When I used to work in substance abuse counseling patients would often have a “dual diagnosis”. They would come into treatment as a result of substance abuse, but the reason they would abuse substances had to do with an underlying problem. I’ll used Depression as an example. If you are depressed and you take methamphetamine you will no longer be depressed. As a matter of fact, I’ll guarantee INSTANT results. If you simply go on the instant results, then “meth” would be the greatest success story of all time in the treatment of depression. But we all know there are many consequences of using “meth”. The consequences of cigarettes are slow, but the benefits are quick.
I bring this up because when I was a teenager and I was faced with the opportunities to use alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, steroids, I would hear only that they were “bad” for you….but what I often saw conflicted with that and as a result, I would question just how “bad” they were! I even recall people saying that steroids didn’t work at all and that it was all psychological…..yeah, right!!! If we want to modify our behavior or the behavior of those around us for the better, we have to be honest
Now that we are being honest, let’s back up to the “dual diagnosis” example a little. So, if you take away the way a person is self medicating, you must find an alternative or they are doomed to go back to their self medication. With cigarettes, you must find some healthy alternative, or at least a relatively healthy alternative (when I did substance abuse counseling we often encouraged cigarette smoking to deal with withdrawal from hardcore drugs as it was the lessor evil).
As lifters, we are always looking for an edge. I don’t know how many supplements I’ve tried over the years. But if we are willing to work, and wait for results, we can find effective replacements for things like cigarettes that deliver short term but make us pay long term.
Breath easy!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Successful Fundraiser
January 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The silent auction at the Dino Challenge raised $800 for the Friends of the Salina Animal Shelter.
After an unbelievable day of lifting at the Dino Old-Time Strongman Challenge, a silent auction was conducted as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Salina Animal Shelter. My training partner Mark Mitchell and his wife are actively involved with this compassionate organization. Their concerns are genuine, and this group has helped HUNDREDS of pets find new homes and bring love and happiness to many, many families. This group does not receive financial help outside of private donations and fundraisers like this. ALL money raised will go directly where it should go – to help in finding homes for dogs and cats. It was a fantastic feeling to be able to help them in this mission. All together, $800 was raised!!!! It was my honor to present this check to Mark Mitchell and the Friends of the Salina Animal Shelter on behalf of the Dino Gym and all USAWA participants who donated to this auction. THANK YOU to everyone who was part of this!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Grip Championship Deadline Change
January 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
On February 12th at the Dino Gym, the FIRST EVER USAWA National Grip Championships will be held. Previously, I had set a entry deadline of February 1st to enter. I did this so I would know in advance what awards to have made. I had planned to have nice Championship Medals for this meet as I was hoping for a big turnout. However, to date I have ONLY received 3 entries with the previous deadline less than 10 days away. This is NOT enough entries to pursue nice custom made awards – so I have decided to REMOVE the deadline and change the awards to Championship Certificates instead. If you plan to attend, I still would like to know in advance. These changes have been made to the entry form.
Click here for an entry form – NationalGripEntry
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Cambered Squat Bar
January 22, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Scott Tully, of the Dino Gym, training with a Cambered Squat Bar. In this picture Scott is squatting 520 pounds for reps.
I have made lots of interesting training devices for the Dino Gym. Some are of my original design while others I copied from someone else. Some get used all the time, while others just get “pulled out” every now and then. Some of the devices are for very specific-type training, while others are used for general strength training. A few weeks ago Dino Gym member Scott Tully started using the cambered squat bar for his squat workouts. I made this bar several years ago after reading about its advantages described by Dave Tate of Elite Fitness Systems. It has been around, or on the market, for several years now. The first time I had ever heard of a cambered squat bar was in an article by Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell. Most people attribute the development of the cambered squat bar to Louie. This bar has been hanging in the bar rack in the gym for quite a while so I was glad to see Scott pull it out and put it to use. Sometimes just changing things up in your training will jump-start your strength gains. I’m sure that is why Scott decided to use this bar in his training program – and he probably will only use it a few weeks before resuming straight bar squats. And I predict once he gets back on the straight bar squats – his squat will be improved.
It was pretty easy to make, but did require the sacrifice of two good bars to make one unusual looking one. The main benefit of squatting with the cambered bar is to decrease the stress on the upper back and place more muscular involvement in the hips and legs. The experts say it strengthens the posterior chain (which I say is a fancy word for the gluteus maximus. haha look THAT one up!). The camber (or offset) is 14 inches. As you descend into a squat with this bar the weight “tracks” in a different line compared to a straight bar. The result of this is that you will squat more upright with the cambered squat bar. Also, by being able to grip it lower, using a cambered squat bar greatly reduces the stress on the shoulders and elbows. It is perfect if you are “coming back” from a shoulder injury where your shoulder mobility is reduced or painful when gripping a straight squat bar.
This bar is also rackable – meaning you can take it out and return it to normal bar hooks in a cage or squat rack. Spotting someone using this bar is no different than a normal bar. The upper portion of the bar exceeds the racking hooks far enough that you can get a hold of it during a spot if needed. I sort of have problems calling this bar a cambered bar, because in my mind “camber” means bent. Like a Buffalo Bar or Bill Clark’s “special” one handed deadlift bar. Webster’s dictionary defines camber as “a slight curve” or “to arch slightly”. This bar SHOULD be called an off-set bar instead. But it has been advertised as a cambered bar for so long now, that name has stuck. However, it is a great addition to any gym and adds variety to any strength training program.
Categories: USAWA Daily News USAWA Records 2010
January 24, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
What a year for broken records!!! After tallying the last chance for any 2010 USAWA records from the National Postal Meet, the USAWA ended up with a total of 609 records. This is less than 100 from the all time best of 702 records set in 2005. This is the third best year ever. Maybe next year the “record for records” will go down. Let’s hope so. The following is a listing of the lifters who set the most USAWA records (20 or more) in 2010.
Individual Records 2010
1. 62 – Al Myers
2. 43 – Chad Ullom
3. 35 – Kohl Hess
4. 30 – Rudy Bletscher
4. 30 – Thom Van Vleck
6. 28 – Dave Glasgow
7. 25 – Mike Murdock
7. 25 – Art Montini
9. 24 – Joe Garcia
10. 22 – John O’Brien
11. 21 – Denny Habecker
12. 20 – Darren Barnhart
It is interesting to note that only one lifter in the above list is not a Junior or Master lifter – and that is Chad Ullom. The significance of this it that Chad is eligible to break or set only OVERALL records, not age group records. The advantage of being able to break or set age group records is that you can “double dip” – meaning you can set TWO records with one record attempt. All of Chad’s records were set individually – which is much more difficult! This will change next year for him as he reaches the age in which he can FINALLY call himself a MASTER LIFTER. This list does not include records set in the TEAM Record List, which is a different listing. All together 18 new Team Records were set in 2010. The following is the list of which teams set the most.
Team Records in 2010
1. 8 – Mike Murdock and Rudy Bletscher
2. 6 – Al Myers and Chad Ullom
3. 4 – Scott Tully and Mark Mitchell
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Hanging Dumbbell Presses
January 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Al Myers demonstrating a Hanging Dumbbell Press, using a special made dumbbell handle that attaches to a chain that suspends the dumbbells at shoulder height.
A few months ago I started a training program utilizing seated dumbbell presses with the hope that they would be less stressful on my shoulder joints than straight bar shoulder presses. Years ago I did LOTS of dumbbell presses and really liked them. The natural rotation of pressing dumbbells feels better on your shoulders than a straight bar. Pressing dumbbells also makes you very aware of shoulder strength imbalances. With a bar, some of these “imbalances” can be compensated for with the stronger shoulder – but with a dumbbell that weakness is EXPOSED very quickly! I started this dumbbell training program after Worlds in which I was VERY disappointed with my dumbbell press at that meet. I have been able to “hide” my weak left arm pressing strength for quite a while by just using my right in competitions that require a lift to be done one handed. But at Worlds the Scots pulled a mean trick on me – and put in place a “meet rule” that required both one arm lifts to be performed with alternate arms. I really wanted to snatch with my right, so the dumbbell press was “left” to my “left”. Needless to say, I did less for a max standing than what I USED to do for 5 reps seated.
This is a picture of the Hanging Dumbbell Handle.
I started the program out easy with light dumbbells and progressed a little every week. My shoulders felt great. No front delt shoulder pain. However, soon I reached a point when the dumbbell poundages got heavy enough that I remembered another problem that dumbbell pressing causes. My elbows started hurting!!! My elbow tendinitis flared back to full force like the days when I was bench pressing heavy. Back then, it was a standard practice of mine to ice my elbows for an hour after every bench training session. I don’t really want to go back to doing that now – just for dumbbell pressing! The act of hammer curling or cleaning the dumbbells to my shoulders was the culprit here. I was about ready to give up on dumbbell pressing because of this – but then I came up with a BETTER WAY!
I decided to make a “special” dumbbell handle that could be hung suspended overhead from my rack at the seated shoulder height. This way I could hang the dumbbell using both hands – thus taking out the part of the lift that was causing me the elbow pain that seemed unnecessary. Now with the dumbbells already hanging, I just “take my seat” and start pressing! I also feel a lot safer because if for any reason I would lose control of the dumbbells they would be “caught” by the chain and not do any damage to the floor or myself! I have never heard of read of anyone else making a dumbbell handle like this so I want to share this idea. Someone else may already have done this, so I’m not going to make any claim to this idea. That’s not my point. If it would help someone else experiencing this same problem as myself and this idea would help them – that is enough for me. The handle was very easy to make, and hopefully, will help build up my dumbbell press once again.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Got a great idea?
January 26, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
After sharing my idea of Hanging Dumbbell Presses, I was wondering if anyone else had ideas like this?? I know someone else has to have some “secret training idea or tip” that may benefit another lifter. Hey – we are all here to share!!! Don’t keep those secrets to yourself! So I’m going to stage a little competition to get those secrets out. All you need to do is submit a story on your idea and how it benefits your training. This doesn’t have to be about some unique piece of equipment – it may just be a training idea or a training tip. The more original the better. I will then run these stories in the USAWA Daily News here on the website and after all submitted stories are ran, leave it up to USAWA membership to vote on the one they like best!! You do not need to be a USAWA member to submit a story, but do in order to place a vote. I will accept stories up till this coming Sunday night (January 30th) so I can have them ready for the website the next week.
Rules of the competition: Stories must be between 500-1000 words, and a picture must be submitted that goes with your story. The DEADLINE for submitting a story is Sunday, January 30th. Please email them to me at [email protected] .
To spice up the competition a little, the winner will receive a set of my Hanging Dumbbell Handles!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Dear Dino Man
January 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I get HUNDREDS of questions per month from individuals pertaining to weight lifting or other matters since I have been webmaster of the USAWA Website. I guess that goes along with making your email address publicly known on a website. People are always looking for free advice and the internet provides plenty of it – some good and some not so good. I try to respond to most questions, but there are lots I don’t get around to. I hate to deprive the USAWA Daily News readers of these “email exchanges” so I’ve decided to start an advice column to share some of these questions and my responses. Maybe it will answer a few questions that I repeatedly receive, and cut out having to answer the same question over and over again. I have decided to name this column Dear Dino Man. I am leaving off the names of the email senders – to insure confidentially and possible embarrassment.
Dear Dino Man,
I am interested in all round weightlifting, and would like to know where to find out more information and a listing of the competitions. Where do I find this?
It’s all on the USAWA website – the same place you found my email address.
Dear Dino Man, Our company (fill in the blank) sells (fill in the blank) and would like you to link our website to yours. Would you do that?
Sure – and how much do you plan to donate to the USAWA in yearly sponsorship? (followed by no response from the sender).
Dear Dino Man,
Im 17 years old and been liftin waites for 6 months now. Me and mine buddies is allready lot stronger than u guys. We train at the high school, and coach tells us we need to do a liftin meat cuz wear so good. We think ur meats sound fun and we no we would be da champions. How big uf trophes will get?
For the time being, it sounds like it would be best if you focus on your academic studies, and if you get time take a course in humility.
Dear Dino Man,
Is the bench press and the roman chair bench press the same thing?
No, not even close.
Dear Dino Man,
I really enjoy the USAWA website! Thank you for the refreshing approach to weightlifting that I don’t see any more. I especially like the stories written by Thom Van Vleck. Is he someone famous?
Thom is indeed someone famous! He has written many articles published in MILO and other strength publications. He has weight trained for over 30 years and has a wealth of lifting knowledge. He has directed many competitions (Highland Games and Weightlifting) and is a real leader in the strength World. He is also the assistant webmaster of the USAWA website. I only wish he would contribute a little more often instead of leaving most of the work to me.
(Disclaimer: Dear Dino Man provides answers that may fall into the grouping of “not so good” amongst the multitude of free internet advice)
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Billy Parker: Friend of the JWC
January 28, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
S & H: April 1966 issue: Billy Parker, Drug Free bodybuilder and friend of the JWC! by Thom Van Vleck
In the 60’s my Uncle Phil was stationed in Alabama while in the Air Force and got to meet a lot of top lifters and bodybuilders of that era. One in particular that he became friends with was Billy Parker. Billy had a brother Randy and they often frequented Karo Whitfield’s gym. My Uncle Phil, when he was not doing Air Force work, would do personal training and that’s how he met the Parker Brothers. They often came over for back yard BBQ’s and outdoor workout sessions.
Phil told me that the Parker’s came from Southern money. They had a trust fund that allowed them to do whatever they wanted and not have to work. So they decided to become professional bodybuilders and trainers and had their own “health club” as gyms were often called in that day, the Bel Aire Health Club (Phil thinks it was named for the shopping center it was located, the “Bel Aire Shopping Center”) . Plus, they enjoyed being young and rich! Phil said that Billy had a brand new thunderbird convertible and they would often cruise the streets of Atlanta looking for fun.
Phil said that what he liked most about Billy was he was drug free at a time when steroids was becoming commonplace. It could also be why you never heard of Billy after that as that era was dominated by drugged up bodybuilders. In 1964, Billy was 9th in the AAU Junior Mr. America and 6th in the Mr. USA. In 1965 he was 15th in the Mr. USA. In 1966 he was 15th in the Mr. America and was again mentioned for his posing ability and muscle control. Phil said when he knew him in 1966 he had won over 70 bodybuilding trophies in regional meets in the south.
Phil said he was a he was a master poser and muscle control artist, having learned from Mr. America Harry Johnson. In that 1965 contest he was listed as one of the top three posers in that contest. Billy was not a big man, he was small boned and short, but he made the most of what he had! Phil lost touch with him and Randy over the years and I’m currently trying to locate him so if you know where he’s at, let me know!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Final Postal Series Ranking
January 29, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Al Myers wins overall best lifter of the 2010 USAWA Postal Meet Series, pictured with his 617 pounds 12" base deadlift in the 2010 National Postal Meet.
I have finally tabulated the final rankings for the 2010 USAWA Postal Series. The USAWA Postal Series consists of 4 quarterly postal competitions – the Eastern Open in March, the Middle Atlantic in June, the Delaware Valley in September, and the National Postal Meet in December. John Wilmot has been the meet director for these Postal Meets for several years now. He deserves recognition for all his hard work – organizing the competitions, calculating the meet results, and sending out award certificates to the winners. Thank you John on behalf of the USAWA!!
The Postal Series Ranking is done using this simple scoring system. Each lifter accumulates points based on their overall placing in each postal meet. For example, if there are 10 lifters entered, first place receives 10 points and the last place finisher receives 1 point. This way EVERY lifter at least receives some points toward their yearly ranking total. If more lifters are entered – more points goes to the winner. The National Postal Meet is worth DOUBLE POINTS since it is the most important competition in our Postal Meet Series.
For the 2010 Postal Series, 21 men and 1 woman lifter participated. Only TWO lifters participated in all 4 postal meets – Denny Habecker and John Wilmot. The National Postal Meet was the most participated in with 16 entrants.
Top Ten Men Final Rankings
1. 50 points – Al Myers
2. 38 points – Mark Mitchell
3. 35 points – Joe Ciavattone Jr.
4. 34 points – Chad Ullom
5. 28 points – Denny Habecker
T. 28 points – Scott Tully
T. 28 points – Chuck Cookson
8. 26 points – Orie Barnett
9. 25 points – Randy Smith 10. 21 points – Joe Ciavattone Sr.
Top Women Final Rankings
1. 3 points – Helen Kahn
BEST LIFTER AWARDS
Women Best Lifter – Helen Kahn Junior Men Best Lifter – Joe Ciavattone Jr. Men Senior 20-39 Best Lifter – Chad Ullom Men Master 40-44 Best Lifter – Al Myers Men Master 45-49 Best Lifter – Orie Barnett Men Master 50-54 Best Lifter – Mark Mitchell Men Master 55-59 Best Lifter – Randy Smith Men Master 60-64 Best Lifter – John Wilmot Men Master 65-69 Best Lifter – Denny Habecker Men Master 70-74 Best Lifter – Mike Murdock Men Master 75-79 Best Lifter – Rudy Bletscher
Categories: USAWA Daily News
News from the IAWA(UK)
January 31, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Steve Gardner
Andy Tomlin is awarded the Clubman of the Year for the Castlemilk Gym.
I attended the Castlemilk Gym Weightlifting Clubs annual dinner in Glasgow on Friday 14th January. It was a very pleasant evening, and after dinner William Wright made the presentations of the clubs awards for their acheivements through 2010. Andy Tomlin was the winner of the overall clubman of the year cup. At the end of the presentation I took them all by complete surprise when I told them that in fact myself and Karen had not just travelled up to see them and enjoy their evening with them, I had another duty to perform. It was well worth the trip to Scotland to see the expression on young Robbie Hughes’s face when I presented him with the wonderful Health and Strength Cup, which is presented annually for the best performance by a IAWA(UK) Junior lifter!
Robbie Hughes receives the Health and Strength "Best Junior" Trophy for 2010.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Zercher Meet
January 31, 2011 | Authored by Joe Garcia | Edit
By Joe Garcia
MEET RESULTS – THE 2011 ZERCHER MEET The mighty have fallen. This last Saturday, Jan 29, the longest running meet in the USAWA, in fact dating prior to the formation of the USAWA, the Zercher meet was once again held in Clarks gym at Columbia, MO. At one time, it was one of the premier meets of our organization, but recently has fallen on small times. This one was no exception. We had a total of three people in the gym, Bill Clark who judged the meet; Tom Powell, our exceptional loader, who never lifts in any of these meets, but like clockwork, shows up to put the weights on the bars; and myself, the lone lifter in the meet. Quite a bit different from the ones back in the late 80’s, where we ran three platforms for the lifters. Consisting of 13 lifts, it makes for a hard day on the body.
On a side note, we may see Bill back lifting in the near future. He has been to Atlanta to see his favorite surgeon, and they will be replacing his shoulder down the road. That will be welcome news as he really can’t even move his arm more than about 3 – 4 inches at this point. Add a new hip and he’ll be good as new.
Since I have been favoring a rotator injury from last summer that started out with a fall from a horse, I pretty much knew that the overhead lifts and the bench weren’t going to be too outstanding for me. I was correct in that they were all down in poundages, though not as much as I thought they would be. In the other lifts, except for the Hand and Thigh, I either was able to do the same as last year or bettered a couple of the lifts. The older lifters in the association will understand how that becomes a victory. Anyway, for the most part I was happy with the results, and as always, enjoyed seeing Bill and we did end up at the Golden Corral for a late lunch.
2011 Zercher Meet Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri January 29, 2011
Meet Director: Bill Clark Official: Bill Clark Loader: Tom Powell
Lifts: Leg Press, Heels Together Clean and Press, Clean and Jerk, Heels Together Deadlift, Bench – Feet in the Air, Hack Lift, One-Hand Deadlift, Zercher Lift, Steinborn, Neck Lift, Hand and Thigh, Hip Lift and Harness Lift.
Results Lifter Age BWT Lg Press HT Press C&J HT Dead Bench
Joe Garcia 57 212 400 150 165 315 205
Hack 1Hd Dead Zercher Steinborn
275 245 -R 255 195
Neck HandThigh Hip Harness Total
375 1075 1675 2300 7630
All results in pounds. BWT is bodyweight in pounds.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Hand & Thigh, Neck Training Tips
February 1, 2011 | Authored by Joe Garcia | Edit by Joe Garcia
Joe Garcia, the World Record Holder in the Hand and Thigh, shares his secrets of training this lift.
With the Heavy Lift Championships coming up out at York, and seeing Al’s story on the Hanging Dumbbells, I thought I would share information on how I train and perform two of the lifts, the Neck lift and the Hand and Thigh lift. The reason I have put these two lifts together is that the basic movement mechanics are very similar. For two old time lifts there is alot of useful technique available for increasing your poundages.
When training either of these lifts, you will probably find that once a week is frequent enough. I usually do 2 – 3 sets, anywhere from 5 – 10 reps in the HT and 5 – 15 reps in the Neck, but your mileage may vary. When I trained for the record in the Hand and Thigh, I worked up to 1 or 2 warmup sets of about 5 reps at half the weight for my final set, then usually 10 reps for the second set. For the hand and thigh lift, no matter what you do, if you are using heavy weights, your fingers will suffer damage and need time to recover, so in order to protect my fingers so that I can keep training, I usually place a pad between them and my thighs. I also believe it is very important to hold each rep and not just lift and drop. This both lets you feel the weight better and is required for the actual lift. This concept applies to both lifts.
The biggest mistake I see during either lift is the direction of the push. Most people go much too vertical when they should be thinking about driving backwards. Visualize that you are 2 – 3 feet from a wall and the object is to touch the wall with the top/back of your head, and looking at the ceiling at the same time. You body position should resemble a bow. The only muscles that move are your legs, so you should get them really bent at the start of the lift. For the Hand and Thigh, place your hands just at the top of Quad muscles, using it as a shelf. Biomechanically, it usually helps to get your feet as high up and close to the big bar as possible, so 4×4’s to stand on are very useful. You also want to make sure your fingers contact the skin of the thighs with nothing in between. In the Neck lift, I try to bend backwards even more at the start of the lift. Angling the strap that goes over my head to as far forward as it will go, seems to keep the drive straighter with less resultant ’snap’ to the front. Again, when you start either lift, don’t think up, think back. Neither lift is a deadlift. For comfort sakes, you may want to have a spotter standing by. Good luck!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Art’s Big Hook
February 2, 2011 | Authored by John McKean | Edit by John McKean
John McKean demonstrates a band hookup for the 2-Bar Deadlift using a big S hook that attaches to his belt.
“SPROOOONG! SPLAT!!” Those two sounds had Art Montini and the rest of the gym in stitches -complete howling laughter throughout the Ambridge VFW Barbell cavern! The object of their mirth was this ever experimental author proving once again that some flex band set ups don’t adapt too well to certain all-round lifts! You see, I’d looped each end of a band around the bar (braced from around my upper back) and attempted to do a pullover and push with the set up. Overestimating the combined resistance, the push went halfway up then ROCKETED back down, the barbell being vigorously propelled by the stretched flex band! Looking back, I think it must have appeared pretty darn funny, but at the time I felt like one of Al’s shotgunned ducks!
A close-up view of Art's Big Hook.
After that awkward episode, I became a bit more cautious toward THINKING how to best apply the advantages of bands to the individual mechanics of lifts! And I determined that some moves can be done with a SECTIONED approach (not actually involving a wrap around the bar) to applying extra resistance. For instance, in certain balanced moves such as one arm deadlifts, Zerchers, and two bar deadlifts the regular grips and positions can be taken, but the band pressure - sometimes considerable extra band pressure- can be simultaneously applied to just the thighs and hips. All that is necessary is a BIG “S” hook to attach the middle of a band to one’s lifting belt, leaving both ends of the band to wrap securely around the feet. So, in a constant vigil to keep me from killing myself on our gym platform, good ole Art ,the man of steel, made one for me!
Recently I’ve been using this approach toward training the two bar deadlift. As the above photo shows, I am free to grab the bars in a normal manner, with the bars’ delicate balance unimpeded by extra forces. The band pressure goes just to the thighs and hips, not adding a lot of extra work, but certainly adding to the chore without necessity of hitting max poundage or leading to burn out. Really , it’s like doing two exercises at once. All the usual band advantages are there -this set up thwarts acceleration,yet encourages speed & finishing strong; concentration on the extra stress actually TEACHES proper form and channels power for two bar deadlifts.
OK, get yourself a big hook and add this” harnessed leg lift” into some of your pulling movements & deadlift types! Remember, you don’t want to ever shoot for an overburdening extra resistance, just enough to make the combined exercise “interesting”!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Row Row Your Back!!
February 3, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Scott Tully
Scott Tully training one arm dumbbell rows with 175 pounds using a dumbbell handle specifically made for rowing.
I’m going to start this off by letting you know I’m not a writer, ha ha. I want to write this about something that has helped me a lot in my overall training, and also want to let you know how we have tried to come up with a new handle to allow you to get even better Upper back and trapezius strength and gains. When I started training at the Dino Gym almost 10 years ago, I had mainly competed in Olympic lifting and strongman. One area of major weakness for me was the top end of my deadlift. I also noticed weakness in my strongman training with stone loading, as I could lap heavy stones but had a hard time transitioning to the load. Al Myers and my training partners can attest I would miss many deadlifts over the knee. We talked extensively about how to fix this. Rack pulls helped a little, but it seemed there was another issue. Al recommended I add in more upper back and trap work. I had always done lat pulls, but never that heavy and always for high reps, and very rarely any rows. I thought I got enough of that type of work from strongman training, well I was wrong. After we had this conversation, I started adding in heavy lat pulls, not shying away from heavy sets of 5, and added in 4-5 sets of rows. Rows included standing 45 degree dumbbell rows, bent over dynamic rows (Pendlay or Russian Rows), chest supported dumbbell rows on a incline bench, and seated cable rows.
A close up picture of the Dino Row Dumbbell Handle.
Over the years I’ve been able to make this an area of strength. It’s still not what I’d like it to be, but at least it’s not a glaring weakness. I truly believe that I get the most out of standing 45 degree and chest supported rows with dumbbells. The problem that myself and a lot of others run into is being able to use a heavy enough weight. At the one gym I train at our DB’s go up to 120, and at the Dino Gym they go to 150. The other problem with a DB is that often the plates hit your body before your elbow is far enough back to engage the lats all the way and being that a DB is totally fixed, it doesn’t rotate in your hand at all to allow the elbows up and to be able to pull back. So I found an idea on the net for a handle and got a hold of Al, and 3 days later we had the Dino Row handle. The problem with the one I had the pic for was that there was not enough room to add the weight needed, mind you, because I wanted to be able to shrug with these also. We were able to make the handle the exact height away from the loading shaft that we needed. After using these and testing them out I think it’s the most effective way to hit your lats in a rowing movement. This handle can go as low as 25lbs, and as high as around 250lbs. One thing I mentioned above was hitting the traps. The problem I have with barbell shrugs is that they wreck my lower back. I had a microdiskectomy of my L-4 and L-5 in 2006 and a few movements still bother it, but with these handles I can hold them out to my side and take the pressure off the lower back and extend the shrug higher. By hitting the Lats more specifically with the rows I have taken my deadlift from the low 500’s before my back surgery to a 617 in competition and a 650 in training, and rarely do I ever miss a deadlift over the knees now. There are pics included in this so you can see the handle, and if you’re at the Dino Gym you have to try this out, and the next day your lats will thank you for it.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Two Ounces of Prevention
February 4, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
As we are all aware, Big Al has created a contest where we are supposed to write a story on a training “secret” we have that would benefit others. This was a difficult thing for me to do as I don’t keep secrets. I share everything I have with anyone willing to listen. I’ve always been that way. So I really don’t have any secrets…..but I looked at what I do and came up with something I do almost every workout. It’s something I think has allowed me to compete at a high level as I head into my 47th year and 34th as a weightlifter.
Al & Chad executing a very complicated two man stretch of the spine. Now really, do you have the time for this or for that matter would you be caught dead in such a compromising position???
A healthy back is essential to weight training. If you lift weights and have never hurt your back, you are either a very good liar, you’ve never pushed yourself, or you just started yesterday. Back injuries are a part of the sport. Especially if you are a master lifter over 40, and most USAWA lifters are over 40…..some WELL over 40! If you’ve had a back injury, you’ve probably tried to rehab it in different ways. Some of these with drugs like anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, or pain medication. You may have seen a doctor, a chiropractor, a massage therapist, or maybe an Osteopath. You’ve probably been given stretching exercises, yoga exercises, or whatever the latest fad is. You may have went so far to invest in some equipment, such as a stability ball, rubber bands, or went really expensive with a reverse hyper, or an inversion table! You also may have found some really complicated and difficult ways to do what all these things try and do…..decompress your spine.
Now, don't get me wrong, I've had a little fun at Al & Chad's expense. These are great exercises, but their problem is the practicality of doing them every workout. I’m going to share two very simple and basic stretches that require very little investment of time or money. They can be very helpful in rehabbing a bad or injured back, but I would encourage you to do these EVERY TIME YOU WORK OUT to help keep your back healthy and prevent injuries!
First, there’s the good ol’ bar hang. Sure, we’ve all heard of it and probably done it. You hang from a chin up bar. I know what your are thinking. ”Geez, Thom, I thought you were going to give us some great secret! Well, I am. Sometimes the best things are the simplest things and they are the things we tend to ignore. Like squats, which is a really great exercise, and yet there’s been a hundred ways developed to avoid squatting each one more complicated than the last! Now, here is a real secret. When you hang from the bar, put your heels on something about a foot or two in front of you. Why? Because you want to tilt your hips forward. This will straighten out the lower spine. Otherwise, if you just hang there the weight of your legs will pull you hips back and bend your spin inward in your lower back. As a result, the weight of your legs will bend your spine and true decompression does not occur! You also need to relax everything except your grip (and another thing, this can be a tremendous grip exercise, an added benefit). If you can’t hang for at least a minute, then use straps until your grip gets to where you can. Total investment: A chin up bar.
Now, the only problem with the bar hang is it only decompresses the lower half of your spine. While this is where most injuries occur, it is only half the picture. Plus, most guys don’t think much about this, but your spine is more than your back, it’s you neck as well! Many weight lifters will injure their neck and it’s also an area that gets a lot more abuse than you realize. Why, because it holds up your fat head! Seriously, the head is always FORWARD on the neck so any time you are not lying down with your neck supported it is being leveraged with pressure from that bowling ball that’s sitting on top if it! Also, many of us will injure our neck at some point lifting, playing sports, or doing something stupid (most guys that train tend to be risk takers….admit it, you’ve done something stupid with your body). And as for the upper back, it gets injured much more rarely than the lower, as a result, how often do we decompress our upper back and neck?
So, this leads me to the second “secret” exercise. Like I said before, if you got loads of cash, you can spend it on a personal massuese and an inversion table….but if you don’t this will work just as well. Maybe better because it is so easy you will do it more often!
Neck and upper back stretch....and yes, I used a photo of a pretty girl to "sell" this and influence the vote! Really, would you want to see me doing this or her! Vote for my article!
The second exercise involves sitting in a chair and letting your head and shoulders fall between you knees. There’s an added benefit that if you get good at this exercise you can also use it to kiss your rear goodbye when you do some of the aforementioned “stupid” stuff. But seriously, you sit in a chair and let your arms fall between you legs while sitting right on the edge of the chair. I was taught to let my arms fall relaxed and then let my head fall forward relaxing it as much as possible. If you do this enough you can fell you vertebrae relax. I now fell a “pop- pop-pop” in my upper back when I do this. Again, you want to stay in this position for about a minute. I also do the added exercise of doing some head rolls once I sit back up, this will seem to always pop my neck a couple times. Total investment: a chair.
So, there you have it. Two exercises, two minutes, cheap, easy and I would argue for the amount of time and money invested you will do your spine more good than any of that other stuff. Call this, 2 ounces of prevention!
Categories: USAWA Daily News Time to Cast Your Vote
February 5, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Who's going to win a set of my Hanging Dumbbell Handles??? It's up to YOU!!
It’s now time to vote!!! All submitted stories have been ran in the USAWA Daily News over the past four days. A set of my hanging dumbbell handles are at stake for the winner – so chose wisely!!! It will be hard to decide – mainly because all of the stories are so good. That is why I am leaving it up to the USAWA membership to vote. That’s right – the USAWA membership! There are LOTS of “perks” to being a USAWA member, like getting to be part of this big decision!! The list of choices:
1. Hand and Thigh, Neck Training Tips by Joe Garcia
2. Art’s Big Hook by John McKean
3. Row Row Your Back!!! by Scott Tully
4. Two Ounces of Prevention by Thom Van Vleck Please send in your vote to me at [email protected] by next Friday (February 11th). The winner will be announced on the 12th. I promise to keep all votes confidential – so don’t worry about that!!! I’m sure this will be a close vote so EVERY VOTE counts!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Official’s Shirts
February 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The new USAWA Official's Shirt.
The USAWA now has new Official’s Shirts. It has been many years since the USAWA has issued official shirts for the officials. Several of the new USAWA officials do not have one. Thom Van Vleck spear-headed this project. THANKS THOM! They are very nice looking blue knit collared shirts, with the USAWA Logo Patch on one sleeve and a United States Flag Patch on the other sleeve. They are embroidered on the front with the wording “USAWA Certified Official”. If you would like to order an Official’s Shirt, send payment of $25 to me, with payment made out to the USAWA. Please include the size you want. Sizes available – large, extra large, and 2 XL.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Heart of America Festival – Day 1
February 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
(Webmasters note: This is a reprint of the meet report covering the Heart of America Festival that occurred in August 1963 as published by the oldtime lifting magazine, the Lifting News. Dale Friesz passed this along to me to share, which characterizes one of the early-days All-Round Weightlifting Meets. Dale’s brother, Leonard, is included in the results as he was a member of the Columbia Athletic Club at the time. Our very own Bill Clark served as Meet Director, Head Judge, and Meet Reporter. He also competed! Past meets such as these are the reason why Bill organized All-Round Weightlifting into the USAWA. You will recognize several of the “meet stars” as they are legends in All-Round Weightlifting today. The meet was a two day affair, so I will divide the story into two parts, one covering each day. Enjoy!) by Bill Clark
Wilbur Miller, the Cimarron Strongman, and Paul Wachholz, an outstanding athlete from Englewood, Colorado, waged a duel in the Heart of America Power Festival, August 3-4 in Columbia, Missouri, which brought nostalgia to the hearts of the old timers in the crowd and may have established an all-time record for weight hoisted in a two-day period. The Power Festival, in its third year, is sponsored by the Columbia Athletic Club, Inc., and is a fun meet all the way. Many lifts, pets of various lifters, are contested and except for eight established events, the meet follows only a vague pattern. Often more than one contest is under way at the same time. Last year Homer Lewellen, a mid-heavy from the host club, lifted in 34 different events and totaled well over 15,000 pounds during the two-day session.
This year, however, the number of events was cut down by the tremendous interest in the Miller-Wachholz battle. There are two sets of trophy lifts in the meet. On the first day, a Saturday, the contest is the jerk from the rack, squat, and dead lift. The entire meet is on a bodyweight formula basis because never more than 15 hardy souls enter. Medals are given for each lift and trophies back five places overall. Leonard Friesz won the jerk from the rack with a 350 jerk at a bodyweight of 198. Miller was close behind with 370 and Wachholz was third with 320.
Lifter BWT Jerk Squat Dead Total Points Lift
Miller 235 370 530 675 1575 1014.30
Wachholz 195 320 455 585 1360 932.96
Friesz 198 350 445 490 1285 876.37
Witt 214 225 470 525 1225 807.98
Hahn 187 275 400 475 1150 805.00
Tarwater 130 230 260 410 900 801.00
Fellows 160 265 345 400 1010 776.69
Hamilton 145 230 280 420 930 766.32
Skinner 129 230 280 340 850 760.75
McPheeters 232 260 375 475 1080 698.76
Lewellen 190 280 385
B. Fellows 238 305 420
Meet Director: Bill Clark
Officials: Bill Clark, Don Wickell, Ed Zercher
Friesz, an army captain stationed in Columbia, stayed in the running with a 445 squat, but Miller made 530 to grab the lead and Wachholz came up with 455. In the dead lift, Wachholz shot ahead of Friesz with a great 585 effort and a near miss with 600. Miller opened with 600, a weight he does five reps with, then jumped to 675. He held the listed world amateur heavyweight record at 672 1/2 and made the 675 so easily that 700 or more seemed quite possible. Miller is a perfect deadlifter. The weight never touches his thighs as it goes up. His shoulders are back before weight and thighs get together. The 700 broke loose twice and went easily to the knees but Wilbur couldn’t get his shoulders back after such a fine effort and the lifts were no good. He vowed that he would make 700 in Leavenworth in September.
Miller thus won the first day’s trophy event with a 1575 total and 1014.3 points. His dead lift was a world mark and his lifts and total were all Missouri Valley records. Wachholz made a 1360 total and established himself as a strong young man. He strengthened this fact considerably the following day.
COMING TOMORROW – DAY 2 OF THE HEART OF AMERICA FESTIVAL
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA History
Heart of America Festival – Day 2
February 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
(Webmasters note: This is a reprint of the meet report covering the Heart of America Festival that occurred in August 1963 as published by the oldtime lifting magazine, the Lifting News. Dale Friesz passed this along to me to share, which characterizes one of the early-days All-Round Weightlifting Meets. Dale’s brother, Leonard, is included in the results as he was a member of the Columbia Athletic Club at the time. Our very own Bill Clark served as Meet Director, Head Judge, and Meet Reporter. He also competed! Past meets such as these are the reason why Bill organized All-Round Weightlifting into the USAWA. You will recognize several of the “meet stars” as they are legends in All-Round Weightlifting today. The meet was a two day affair, so I will divide the story into two parts, one covering each day. Enjoy!) by Bill Clark
On the second day the squat and dead lift marks of Saturday are used and four other events are added to test a man’s back, endurance and will power. The front squat opens the second day and Miller was very unhappy with his 390 front squat. Wachholz made 385 and Friesz 380. The Jefferson lift was next and Wachholz almost caught the lanky Kansas wheat farmer. Miller did a straddle with 650, but Wachholz surpassed him on bodyweight with a 640 and moved within range with two lifts remaining. Paul was able to make “only” 600 in the hack lift, but Miller endured with a 650 effort. In the Zercher lift, Miller made 425 while Wachholz was good for only 365. The meet was Miller’s once again. This time with a total of 3320 and 2148 points. Wachholz was close behind with 3020 pounds and 2072 points. Your writer was third and felt happy with a mediocre performance after not working out more than five times since February. He squatted 470 cold, made a 530 dead lift, front squatted 320, straddled up 560, hacked only 500 (has done 600) and Zerchered just 420 – 40 pounds under tops. This was the meet he had planned to make a 600 squat, but baseball took care of that boast. Maybe next year. Too much umpiring this year and not enough time in the gym.
Lifter Squat Front Deadlift Hack Zerch Strad Total Points Sq
Miller 530 390 675 650 425 650 3320 2148
Wachholz 455 385 585 600 365 640 3020 2072
Clark 470 320 530 500 420 560 2800 1817
Friesz 445 380 490 450 385 475 2625 1790
Hahn 400 320 475 475 385 475 2530 1771
Hamilton 280 205 420 420 315 440 2080 1714
Witt 470 295 525 315 335 500 2400 1596
McPheeters 375 475 500
Lewellen 385 500 500
B. Fellows 420 315
Meet Director: Bill Clark
Officials: Bill Clark, Don Wickell, Ed Zercher The question here, then, is how these two great lifters rank with strong men of the past. Surely, in two days, few men of this size have ever lifted more. To dead lift 675, hack 650 and straddle 650 along with the others is a phenomenal performance, and Wachholz was superb. His 640 straddle must rank with the best.
These men are not goons, as power lifters have often been called. Wachholz has done over 800 as a mid-heavy in the Olympic lifts and won the 100 yard dash, final event of the meet, in an amazing time of 11.3 seconds, running on asphalt in tennis shoes after a hard day on the platform. Wachholz also throws the discus well over 160 feet and has a beautiful frame, placing high in every physique contest he enters. He’s married and has two children. He works in a bank and travels thousands of miles a year to meets. (No relation between his work and his ability to travel). The marks he set at the Power Festival were all personal records. In addition, he entered several of the side contests and won them. He was best in the bench press with 315 pounds and did a stiffarm pullover with 110.
Miller was impressive as always. He stands 6′3″, and weighs 235. In high school he was a top miler and turned down a track scholarship at Kansas University after finishing his senior year at Ensign (Kansas) High School. In his final high school race, he covered the mile in 4:33.6 and wound up third behind two great runners – Wes Santee, who later ran the mile in 4:00.2 and was America’s greatest miler until barred by the AAU for excessive expense money – and Billy Tidwell, a half- miler who represented the U.S. on many international fields. Miller has done 930 in the Olympic Lifts and was second in the Junior Nationals this year. He won one other event in the Power Festival, doing an abdominal raise with 105 pounds. When the meet was over, a side bet came to pass concerning Wilbur’s ability to lift cars. He promptly picked up the rear end of a Volkswagon, engine and all, and held it a foot off the ground. He made the lift from the normal deadlift position.
Ed Zercher Sr., an old-timer who has moved enough weight to kill an elephant in his forty years on the platform, refereed all the lifts and branded Miller and Wachholz as two mighty strong youngsters. He pointed out that their lifting was different from that in the old days when bars were not machined, but allowed the pair could have held their own with many of the greats. Zercher, at 56, proved to be a horse even yet. He took 600 pounds on his feet, and without any supporting devices, made 10 reps and held his balance perfectly in the leg press. He then built a Roman Chair all by himself with 235 pounds balanced on his feet: 145 pounds in his hands and 130 pound Art Tarwater sitting astride the chair doing presses with 100 pounds. When Tarwater lost his balance, Zercher held the chair steady – much to the amazement of the onlookers.
This meet was held in a shelter house the first evening and on the grass under a large shade tree the second day. People driving through the park would stop and watch the lifting until they grew tired. The crowd changed many times and townspeople still talk about the show they say in the park – for no charge. It seems until someone comes up with a better performance, this must go down as one of the greatest ever.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA History
Year in Review -2010
February 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
2010 USAWA Year in Review
I have finished the 2010 USAWA Year in Review, compiling all the information that has been placed on the USAWA Website throughout the year of 2010. I do this for a couple of reasons: 1) to allow all information to be saved for prosperity in one location, and 2) to allow individuals who do not have internet access to stay informed with USAWA news. I know it is, at this time, pretty “old news” but at least it provides an opportunity for staying abreast of the USAWA nowadays, especially since the USAWA does not provide a written publication any longer.
This is a long book. You will not be able to finish it in one night. It contains all 308 blogs that were placed in the USAWA Daily News for 2010. The book is 441 pages long, and contains 164,875 words. It has over 250 pictures. This review book also contains the full meet reports and results for the 22 competitions that the USAWA sanctioned in 2010.
Due to the length, I have decided to forgo the color printing this year which helps lower the cost. I plan to do another printing by the first of March – so THAT is the deadline for purchasing this Review Book. Please make payment of $40 to the USAWA for purchase, and send to me. I will ONLY print Review Books for those that I have payment for in hand.
BUY NOW – USAWA YEAR IN REVIEW – $40
Categories: USAWA Daily News
And we have a WINNER!
February 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Over a week ago when I announced this writing competition to find the best “secret tip or training idea” I wasn’t sure how it would fly. Would anyone even participate?? I didn’t want it to look like I was trying to bride people to write for the Daily News (when truth be known that is probably a correct assumption!). I was SO impressed when I received 4 EXCELLENT website stories from Thom Van Vleck, John McKean, Joe Garcia and Scott Tully.
Next – I left the vote up to the membership. Would anyone even take the time to send in a vote? Or is anyone really even reading all this garble that I turn out? I have to admit I was a little nervous! However, all my worry was for naught and the votes came flying in!! Close to half the USAWA membership must have cast a vote, and the votes were for ALL the stories! Not one author dominated. In fact, it was a tie till last night when the last vote came in to determine who won a set of my hanging dumbbell handles. Now THAT is a vote that counts!!!!
It’s time to announce the winner.. and the winner is….(drumroll)…..John McKean!!!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Grip Championships
February 14, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
USAWA NATIONAL GRIP CHAMPIONSHIPS
The FIRST EVER USAWA National Grip Championships was a huge success this last weekend at the Dino Gym! The bad weather we had earlier in the week was past, and besides lots of snow on the ground, it was a beautiful day! Eight brave competitors showed for this inaugural event. The quality of competition was very high and several new USAWA records were set. I want to thank everyone who made it out to compete, help or just watch. I was going to go over the “highlights” of the meet but Ben Edwards has already hit them all in the discussion forum! He did such a great job covering the meet in the forum, I really think it needs to be shared here in the Daily News as the meet report. Thanks Ben!!
Group picture of the 2011 USAWA National Grip Championships. Front row (left to right): Denny Habecker, Mike Murdock, Rudy Bletscher, Felecia Simms. Back row (left to right): Mark Mitchell, Dave Glasgow, Ben Edwards, Al Myers.
MEET REPORT by Ben Edwards
I had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone and the after-lifting meal was great too because we all got a chance to just sit around and chat.
I’ve got quite a list of memorable moments but here are just a few since I’m home and want to spend some time with my wife.
Felecia Simms pulled 280 pounds in the 3" bar deadlift, breaking a record held by arm wrestling champion Mary McConnaughey.
-Felecia! Destroying the 3″ bar deadlift record in style. I have no doubt she could’ve pulled the weight I did and made it look a lot cleaner than I did too. It was also neat getting to offer my 2 cents on what weights you should attempt on one or two events – along with Dave. You didn’t think you’d be able to pinch lift the two 45s but you did that with ease – and about 10lbs more!
-Rudy! Beat HIS 2″ vbar record by 10lbs and didn’t even know it until I looked it up and made sure that was the case. I am somewhat of a rainman with certain numbers (usually my own of course) and remembered his lift on the 2″ vbar from last year. -Mike! Loved the middle fingers deadlift attempt that went from being a failed attempt – no movement at all – to suddenly being a dominating pull after taking a very short break to re-set.
-Mark! Huge pinch strength! He made 175lbs look like a feather pillow and seemed to be close on the 190+lbs attempt too. And he doesn’t train his grip. Which would make me dislike him slightly – if he wasn’t one of the nicest guys in the world.
-Denny! Had very good and balanced strength on all the lifts that it’s hard to pick one that stood out in my head. Plus the aforementioned super integrity.
Al Myers had the highest 3 inch bar deadlift of the meet with a lift of 555 pounds.
-Al! MONSTER 3″ bar deadlift – 555lbs! – to end the meet in great style. Dave and I were puzzled by your 1-pound weight addition though to the 2″ vbar weight that you ripped off the ground and could’ve seemingly held for a day. I thought you were joking us, haha! Also considered “saving” a 3rd attempt on the 3″ bar deadlift and asking for 1 pound more than what you did on your best attempt. Then of course not being able to lift it wouldn’t be so funny, but hey. -Dave! That 360lb (?) 3″ bar deadlift was the most impressive IMO of your lifts. Very nice!
Ben Edwards had the best Vertical Bar Deadlift of the meet with a lift of 222 pounds.
-Me. So glad to pull that 310lbs on the middle fingers deadlift! I thought the 275lbs was going to rip my fingers off and really didn’t “want” to try the 310lbs but I knew that with the great crowd behind me I would at least have a chance if I could block the pain. Well, I couldn’t block the pain, lol. But the lift inched up and I just reviewed the picture that Felecia took of me on that lift and it looks like I’m about to fall apart. Little disappointed that my 2″ vbar strength was down 13 pounds from my best pull. Pinch strength was right where it always is – in the crapper, lol. The thick bar deadlifts were very challenging and I’m glad I had enough sense to not choose more weight and hurt myself on either of them. Was embarrassed to only get 325lbs to my knees since I’ve been able to pull that weight on the Apollon’s Axle since 2004.
MEET RESULTS
USAWA National Grip Championships February 12th, 2011 Dino Gym, Holland, Kansas
Meet Director: Al Myers Certified Official (1-official system used): Scott Tully
Lifts: Deadlift – Vertical Bar, 2″, One Arm; Pinch Grip; Deadlift – Fingers, Middle; Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip; Deadlift – 3″ Bar
Loaders: Alan English, John Connor, Matt Cookson, Tyeler Cookson
Lifter Age BWT VB Pin MF DLFB DL- Total Points 3
Al 44 249 183- 132 275 325 555 1470 1226.9 R Myers
Ben 35 219 222- 162 310 300 300 1294 1099.8 Edwards L
Dave 57 248 152- 132 190 275 360 1109 1042.5 Glasgow R
Denny 68 189 132- 102 165 225 250 874 1040.0 Habecker R
Mark 50 360 152- 174 245 330 450 1351 1001.3 Mitchell R
Rudy 75 220 122- 87 165 225 250 849 979.2 Bletscher R
Mike 70 234 132- 102 165 225 205 829 891.3 Murdock L
Felecia 28 313 132- 102 155 205 250 844 600.6 Simms R
NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in pounds. Total is total weight lifted in pounds. All lifts listed in pounds. Points are adjusted points for age and bodyweight. R and L identifies right and left hands.
Extra lifts for records: Pinch Grip: Rudy Bletscher 92# Deadlift – Middle Fingers: Denny Habecker 180#, Mark Mitchell 275# Deadlift – 3″ Bar: Denny Habecker 275#, Felecia Simms 280#
BEST LIFTER AWARDS
Best Senior Women: Felecia Simms Best Senior Men: Ben Edwards Best Master 40-44: Al Myers Best Master 50-54: Mark Mitchell Best Master 55-59: Dave Glasgow Best Master 65-69: Denny Habecker Best Master 70-74: Mike Murdock Best Master 75-79: Rudy Bletscher
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Dino Gym Record Day
February 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
DINO GYM RECORD DAY
Group picture of the lifters at the 2011 Dino Gym Record Day. Pictured front row (left to right): Mike Murdock, Chris Krenzin, Tyler Krenzin, Denny Habecker. Back row (left to right): Casey Barten, Al Myers, LaVerne Myers, Scott Tully. Not pictured: Chuck Cookson, Tyeler Cookson, Matt Cookson
MEET REPORT
After the great meet the day before at the Grip Championships, I wondered if anyone had the energy and motivation to come back for “Day Two” to set some USAWA records. I was surprised to have 11 participants! Lots of records were set. One of the first to walk in the door of the Dino Gym was Mike Murdock. When I was checking Mike in, he informed me that there was a change to his “status” – he NOW was 71 years old instead of 70, as today was his birthday! What a way to spend your birthday – breaking records in the USAWA! Mike went on to break more records than anyone else with a total of 20. That’s a lot of records considering Mike was going all-out on every lift. His 80# Crucifix impressed me the most – considering it was done IMMEDIATELY following his dumbbell clean and press.
The Krenzin brothers have been regulars these past few years at my record days. These two young kids, Chris and Tyler, keep getting stronger as they grow. They enjoy breaking the marks in lifts that they did the YEAR BEFORE the most. Their one arm VB deadlifts were very impressive. Tyler did 100# and Chris was close behind at 97#. It impressed me when Chris noticed I was wearing my lifting singlet he went back out to the truck to get his youth wrestling singlet – and then he put it on! He wanted to look like a weightlifter too!!
Scott Tully had a great day. The day before Scott served as the head official of the Grip Championships. Based on the grip records he set in this record day – he should have been competing! Scott performed a 358# Fulton Bar Ciavattone Grip Deadlift, a 232# one arm 2″ VB deadlift, and a 414# 2 bar 2″ VB deadlift – all for overall records in the 125 plus kilogram class. Pretty stupendous lifts!!! He topped off his day by breaking the record in the hands together bench press with a lift of 320#, erasing the record held by the Bench Behemoth Dave Beversdorf. (I’m just throwing this out Dave to give you a little motivation!!)
Matt and Tyeler Cookson pulled a 2-Man Team Deadlift of 860 pounds, for the highest USAWA Team Deadlift of All-Time amongst Junior lifters.
My Dad LaVerne was planning to sit this one out like he did the day before because of a recent eye surgery. But like a true all-rounder, he decided to ignore the doctors recommendations and “just lift light” instead. However, once he got started the lifts he did just kept getting heavier and heavier! His lift that impressed me the most was his 77# one hand Pinch Grip.
Denny Habecker made the long drive to my place by himself (over 20 hours) and still had the energy to lift both days, and on top of that, set many records on Sunday. His record count for the weekend had to be over 15. All I can say is “Poor Art” because Denny has just padded his lead in the Records Race over Art Montini. Denny did a wide range of record lifts, from presses to deadlifts. Denny doesn’t have any weak areas that he can’t set records in.
Dino Gym member Casey Barten just came in for a Sunday afternoon training session and ended up setting a few records. Casey always trains Sunday afternoons, and is usually training by himself. He wasn’t really planning to do anything but I gave him some encouragement (like saying “don’t be a sissy”) and so he added some USAWA records to his Sunday afternoon training session. It was mid-afternoon (and everyone was getting worn out) and I thought the record day might be done, but in walks Chuck Cookson and his two sons, Tyeler and Matt. We didn’t know it at the time – but the show was just beginning!! Matt, at only 16 years of age, deadlifted with a 12 inch base 484#. Brother Tyeler showed him big brother still was stronger and pulled 507# the same way. However, Big Poppa Chuck let the boys know “who their daddy was” and pulled 661# with a 12″ base!! Only multiple time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman has done more in the USAWA with a 728# 12 inch base DL at the 1994 Texas Deadlift Classic. Matt and Tyeler then joined forces in TEAM lifting and set several two man records. Their Team Cheat Curl of 330# was very impressive, along with their Team Deadlift of 860#.
I want to thank everyone who attended this year’s Dino Gym Record Day. Participation is what makes these events fun. Sorry for the short meet report, but I got LOTS of results to enter!!!
MEET RESULTS
Dino Gym Record Day February 13th, 2011 Dino Gym, Holland, Kansas
Meet Director: Al Myers
Certified Officials (1-official system used on all lifts): Al Myers, Denny Habecker, Scott Tully, Mike Murdock
Chris Krenzin – Age 10, BWT 157# (Age group 10-11, Class 75K)
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, right hand: 97# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, left hand: 92# Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip: 140# Curl – Strict: 35# Clean and Press – 2 Dumbbells: 40#
Tyler Krenzin – Age 13, BWT 146# (Age group 12-13, Class 70K)
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, right hand: 100# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, left hand: 82# Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip: 140# Curl – Strict: 30# Clean and Press – 2 Dumbbells: 20#
Matt Cookson – Age 16, BWT 187# (Age group 16-17, Class 85 K)
Deadlift – 12″ Base: 484#
Tyeler Cookson – Age 19, BWT 172# (Age group 18-19, Class 80 K)
Deadlift – 12″ Base: 507#
Tyeler Cookson & Matt Cookson (Age group 18-19, Class 85 K)
Team Curl – Cheat: 330# Team Deadlift: 860# Team Clean and Jerk: 352# Team Clean and Press: 308#
Casey Barten – Age 30, BWT 180# (Age group 20-39, Class 85K)
Lateral Raise – Standing: 70# Deadlift – Inch Dumbbell, Right Arm: 105# Deadlift – Inch Dumbbell, Left Arm: 105#
Scott Tully – Age 35, BWT 343# (Age group 20-39, Class 125+K)
Bench Press – Hands Together: 320# Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip: 358# Press – From Rack: 250# Pinch Grip – Left Hand: 77# Swing – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 100# Snatch – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 105# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand: 232# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 2″: 414# Lateral Raise – Standing: 80#
Chuck Cookson – Age 41, BWT 271# (Age group 40-44, Class 125 K)
Deadlift – 12″ Base: 661# Press – From Rack, Behind Neck: 225# Push Press – From Rack: 225# Press – From Rack: 245# Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, Right Arm: 80# Clean and Press – 2 Dumbbells, Heels Together: 210#
Al Myers – Age 44, BWT 250# (Age group 40-44, Class 115K)
Deadlift – 2 Inch Dumbbells: 240# Clean and Press – Fulton Bar: 220# Snatch – Fulton Bar: 185# Clean and Press – 12″ Base: 220# Snatch – From Hang: 187# Swing – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 140# Bench Dip: 230#
LaVerne Myers – Age 66, BWT 250# (Age group 65-69, Class 115K)
Deadlift – Inch Dumbbell, Right Arm: 120# Deadlift – Inch Dumbbell, Left Arm: 120# Crucifix: 40# Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Right Arm: 141# Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Left Arm: 141# Holdout- Lowered: 30# Holdout – Raised: 30# Deadlift – No Thumb, Left Arm: 154# Pinch Grip – Right Hand: 62# Pinch Grip – Left Hand: 77# Snatch – Left Arm: 55# Snatch – Right Arm: 55#
Denny Habecker – Age 68, BWT 191# (Age group 65-69, Class 90K)
Crucifix: 50# Press – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 70# Press – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 60# Clean and Jerk – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 85# Clean and Jerk – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 65# Snatch – Left Arm: 55# Swing – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 65# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 175# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 175# Bench Dip: 135# Press – From Rack: 135#
Mike Murdock – Age 71, BWT 236# (Age group 70-74, Class 110K)
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand: 127# Holdout – Raised: 40# Clean and Press – 2 Dumbbells, Heels Together: 80# Crucifix: 80# Clean and Press: 132# Snatch – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 55# Snatch – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 55# Pinch Grip – Left Hand: 62# Swing – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 60# Swing – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 60# Snatch – From Hang: 95# Clean and Press – On Knees: 95# Snatch – Left Arm: 55# Snatch – Right Arm: 55# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 145# Deadlift – Inch Dumbbell, Right Arm: 90# Deadlift – Inch Dumbbell, Left Arm: 105# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 2″: 224# Bench Dip: 65# Lateral Raise – Standing: 60#
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Catherine Brumback aka Sandwina
February 17, 2011 | Authored by Dennis Mitchell | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
Sandwina breaking a chain, which was a common act in her performances.
Catherine Brumback was born in Viena, Austria in 1884. She was the first of fourteen children born to Philip and Joanna Brumbach, who were acrobats who performed in circuses and theaters in Europe. Her father stood six feet tall and weighed 260 pounds, and had a 56″ chest. Her mother had 15″ biceps. Her father could snatch 80 kilograms with one hand, which was a very good lift in the 1800’s. At the age of fourteen Catherine, who was now called Kathe, stood 5′7″ tall, and weighed 167 pounds. She had been performing with her parents for quite some time. She could clean and jerk 50 kg with one hand, and 70 kg with two hands. By age of sixteen she had also become a very good wrestler. Her father offered 100 German marks to any one who could defeat her. At one performance a young 19 year old strong man named Max Heyman accepted the challenge, thinking the publicity would help his career. Max was rather slight, weighing only 155 to 160 pounds. Kathe had no trouble quickly defeating him. Afraid that she had hurt him, she picked him up and carried him to her tent, a most unusual way to start a romance. Three years later they were married. They performed together under the name of Les Sandwenes. As time passed Kathe grew to 5′9″, weighed 200 pounds, had a 44″ chest, a 29″ waist, 16 ” calves, and 14″ arms. She could bend bars, brake chains, and juggle cannon balls. She could support a 1200 pound cannon on her shoulders. Another one of her acts was to lie on a bed of nails while someone from the audience would pound an anvil she supported on her chest. She was earning $1500 per week. For a time she had an act with her three sisters, Eugenie, Marie, and Barbara. They performed under the name of the Braselli Sisters. At a performance in New York City she challenged anyone in the theater to a weightlifting contest. Eugene Sandow was in the audience and accepted the challenge. Kathe cleaned and jerked 300 pounds. Sandow could only lift it to his chest. After this contest Kathe changed her name to Sandwina, which said was a feminine version of Sandow. During her career she performed with several circuses, the most notable being the Barnum and Bailey circus. After she retired from preforming she and Max opened a cafe in Queens New York . She passed away January 21, 1952.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Quiz of the Week
February 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Which 5 USAWA members have been members since the beginning of the USAWA??
The first USAWA memberships were issued in 1988. Since that time, only FIVE have been members every year since. This is what you call LOYAL membership!!! These five definitely need recognized – and that is the reason for this quiz. To get the correct answer you need to give me all 5 correct names. I will even give you a hint if you want to guess. These 5 are listed in the 2011 membership roster. You see – they don’t even wait to get signed up for their yearly membership!
As with all Quiz of the Week the rules are the same: first correct answer I receive wins, only 1 try per day, and send you answer to this email address – [email protected]. The winner will receive a USAWA Patch!
We have 2 WINNERS! Last night I received TWO correct answers to this quiz!!!
Joe Garcia and Tom Ryan provided the names I was looking for. The five USAWA members that have been members since the beginning (1988) are Bill Clark, Joe Garcia, Casey Clark, Art Montini and Dale Friesz. During all these years, these members NEVER let their membership lapse. I had lots of people make guesses on this quiz, and I want to thank everyone for their participation trying to answer this difficult question.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Records Go Down Last Weekend
February 19, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I’m finally able to relax and reflect upon the great weekend of lifting this past weekend at the Dino Gym. It’s surprising how much needs to be done AFTER a competition – equipment needs fixed and put away, the gym cleaned and picked up, meet reports and results written for the website, and of course nursing all the aches and pains I self-inflicted upon myself once again.
Mike Murdock, of Ledaig Heavy Athletics, sets the most USAWA Records over this past weekend at the Dino Gym.
If anyone notices any mistakes in the meet results please let me know. It is easy to fix – and I PREFER for everything to be correct. It is very easy for a mistake to happen – poor handwriting that I can’t read, a lift written down wrong, etc. I know of instances in the past (before this website) where mistakes got recorded and never changed, and thus these “errors” go down in history as “the fact”. What are you saying Al??? Yes I said it - some RECORDS in the Record List are not legit!!! With this website, and the ability to post results immediately and correct them immediately if needed, those type of mistakes are not tolerable anymore.
Now on to more pleasant things. I finally got the weekend record count done. WOW – as the Daily News Story says, “Records Go Down Last Weekend” – that is an understatement. On Saturday at the USAWA National Grip Championships a total of 32 new USAWA records were set. On Sunday at the Dino Gym Record Day, a total of 113 USAWA records were set by the 11 participants (105 individual records and 8 team records). That’s a LOT!!! Joe G (the USAWA Record Keeper) will have to burn the midnight oil getting all that in the list!! The top record day in the USAWA last year belonged to the JWC Record Breakers last October where 109 USAWA records were set. (I’m not saying we topped them, but I DID have to mention this fact because I’m a forthright news reporter). This year’s Dino Gym Record Day now becomes the TOP record day in the history of the USAWA in regards to number of USAWA records broken in a record day. The TOTAL USAWA records for the weekend was an amazing 145 records. Mike Murdock lead the way for the weekend with a total of 27 records set. Mike started the weekend off as 70 years old and ended the weekend at 71 years old. What a great weekend of lifting he had to celebrate his birthday.
Denny Habecker, of the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year Habecker's Gym, deserves a rest after a busy weekend of setting records. Denny has the MOST records in the USAWA with 399.
Denny Habecker now has a commanding lead over Art Montini in the RECORDS RACE. With the 18 records Denny set this past weekend, he now leads Art 399 to 370. If only Denny knew he needed only 1 more record to hit the 400 barrier I’m sure he would have done it!!
USAWA Records from the National Grip Championships - 2011GripChamps
Individual Records from the Dino Gym Record Day – 2011DinoGymRD
Team Records from the Dino Gym Record Day – 2011DinoRDTEAM
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Goerner Club
February 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Ben Edwards is now part of the "Goerner Club" with his 310 pound Middle Finger Deadlift at the 2011 USAWA National Grip Championships.
It’s not everyday that a lifter can break a mark done by the famous German Strongman Hermann Goerner. This past weekend at the USAWA National Grip Championships Ben Edwards joined, as I’ve termed, the “Goerner Club” for exceeding Hermann’s best reported lift in the Middle Fingers Deadlift. Ben lifted 310 pounds. David Willoughby in his book The Super Athletes listed Goerner as having done a MF deadlift of 140 kilograms (308.5 pounds) around 1925. I have always considered this the mark to beat to be outstanding in the middle fingers deadlift. Now, compared to what Hermann has reported in his other finger lifts, this lift of his seems to be a sub-maximal effort. None the less, it is a very good lift (and is actually believable compared to some of his other claims). However, this 308.5# middle finger deadlift is not listed in Hermann’s autobiography by Edgar Mueller’s Goerner the Mighty. I have read this book several times, and I don’t ever remember seeing this lift listed. Mueller does talk in one chapter about the wide deviations of grips that Hermann uses for his deadlifts, and mentions a middle finger overhand grip deadlift (of which he lists Goerner as having worked up to 220 pounds), but nothing about using an alternate grip as we allow in the USAWA for the Finger Deadlifts. Just how many USAWA members are part of this “Goerner Club” for the Middle Finger Deadlift??
The list is quite small. Only TWO other USAWA members (besides Ben) have ever exceeded 309 pounds. The KING OF the MIDDLE FINGER is none other than Kevin Fulton. Kevin has the best middle finger deadlift of ALL-TIME in the USAWA with a lift of 400 pounds. This lift was no fluke, as Kevin has exceeded 309 pounds in the MF deadlift several other times as well in official competition. He set this HUGE MF deadlift at his own 1999 SuperGrip Challenge (which was the first year this meet was held). The other lifter that is a member of the “Goerner Club” is USAWA Hall of Famer Bill DiCiccio. In 1994 at the Gold Cup, Bill matched Hermann’s effort with a 309 pound lift. Now that’s it!!! I have spent a few hours looking back at past meet results over the past 20 years and I couldn’t find anyone else!! Congratulations Ben – you are now part of a very small club in the USAWA. Hermann would have been proud of you.
Check out the YouTube Video of Ben performing the Middle Fingers Deadlift (located on the upper right side of this website).
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Dear Dino Man
February 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I get HUNDREDS of questions per month from individuals pertaining to weight lifting or other matters since I have been webmaster of the USAWA Website. I guess that goes along with making your email address publicly known on a website. People are always looking for free advice and the internet provides plenty of it – some good and some not so good. I try to respond to most questions, but there are lots I don’t get around to. I hate to deprive the USAWA Daily News readers of these “email exchanges” so I’ve decided to start an advice column to share some of these questions and my responses. Maybe it will answer a few questions that I repeatedly receive, and cut out having to answer the same question over and over again. I have decided to name this column Dear Dino Man. I am leaving off the names of the email senders – to insure confidentially and possible embarrassment. Dear Dino Man,
How do I go about learning these all round lifts?
The best place to start is by reading the USAWA Rulebook, located in its entirety on the website. The USAWA Rulebook contains not only the rules of the lifts, but also descriptions in how they are performed. Several of the lifts have been highlighted on the website in the past that give more details. This information can be found by doing a search on the website. We also have a YouTube account that has videos of many of the lifts. It is also linked to the website. However, the best way to learn about the USAWA is to just go to a competition and meet lifters who have experience in all-round weightlifting. All the members of the USAWA are more than willing to help someone new. Of course, if you have specific questions I would be happy to answer them!
Dear Dino Man,
What types of bows are allowed in the USAWA?
You have the wrong USAWA. The one you’re interested in is the United States Association of Wingshooting Archers located at usawa.org. We are All-Round Weightlifters and that is why, at the top of our website, we have a logo of a weightlifter instead of an archer. I just want to mention that in case that was confusing you.
Dear Dino Man,
Sorry my check for my membership dues bounced. The next one is in the mail and it’s good.
Sure it is and I’m planning on deadlifting 1000 pounds tonight.
Dear Dino Man,
When I look at the pictures of some of the lifts on your website, I can’t believe they are real. Is it possible some were done with fake plates? Those pictures of Steve Schmidt lifting all that weight can’t be real.
All lifts in the USAWA are done with real plates by real lifters. There is nothing fake about Steve’s 2000 plus pound Hip Lifts or his 3000 pound plus Harness Lifts – just hard to believe. I have seen Steve Schmidt lift first hand and he’s the “real deal”. And trust me, I’m a doctor. Dear Dino Man,
Why can’t we wear knee wraps and super suits in the USAWA?
Because the USAWA is about REAL STRENGTH and not FAKE STRENGTH! Plus wearing that gear makes you look like a goofball instead of a weightlifter.
Dear Dino Man,
How do all the guys in your gym get so big and strong? I weigh 150 pounds and can’t seem to gain weight. Someday I hope to weigh 300 pounds of solid muscle.
Because we are on the Seefood Diet. If we see it – we eat it. Add in an extra helping of daily heavy weight training and someday you will reach your goal.
Dear Dino Man,
Does your dino gym ever get tired of whooping it up on the JWC?
And does a kid ever get tired of eating ice cream??? NO – CAUSE IT TASTES GOOD!!
Dear Dino Man,
I just love it when you put pictures of the Champ on the website. He is so good looking and sexy!! I would love to meet him and hopefully date him cause he’s built like a real man. Do you know if he is single?
Sorry, I’m afraid not. STUDS like THE CHAMP don’t stay on the market long. But if you are interested, I could send you the details about joining his fan club. He is a real All-Round Weightlifting celebrity and has the ego to match it – which you should have been able to guess by the fact that he calls himself “The Champ”.
(WEBMASTER COMMENT: All these are real questions with real answers. The rumor that the Dino Man makes up stories and stretches the truth is incorrect, and is probably being propagated by jealous rivals who lack the witty repertoire of humor that bestows the Dino Man. )
Categories: USAWA Daily News
John O’Brien: A TRUE All-Round athlete
February 23, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
John O'Brien in a photo that decorates the Dino Gym showing an Ironmind Red Nail that John hammered shut for Big Al's amusement. by Thom Van Vleck
John O’Brien has been my training partner, member of the JWC, and most of all, friend, for many years now. When I think of what an All-Round athlete is, I think of John. He is good, maybe a better word would be “great” at everything strength related. I have written about him before but I’m hoping to add to what you already know about him and make the case for him being a TRUE All-Rounder.
He has competed in a strongman contests and Olympic lifting meets and placed or won his class in many contests. He has competed in Highland Games and always places high. He has competed in the USAWA with great success in about a dozen meets and has a couple dozen records to his credit. Not to mention he is a world class short steel bender and performing professional strongman with over one hundred performances under his belt. That, to me, it a true All-Round athlete!
John started lifting around the age of 13. His older brother had a weight set at home and then at age 15 he started lifting for sports on programs set up by his coaches. John mainly played baseball until high school and then he made up for lost time. He played football (varsity for three years), wrestling, baseball, and track. He said that he was best at football and baseball, but played the other sports so he could have access to the weight room year around. He also mentioned maybe watching the girls run in track was a bonus! Funny how many of us start lifting to impress girls!
John played on a football team in high school that had a dubious distinction. They lost every game his junior and senior year! The losing streak became so long that David Letterman started to track in on his show and when they finally won (long after John had left) they had some of the team members fly out to New York to be on the show. John was a lineman and played both ways, he also played a couple years of college ball at Graceland College.
Then John entered graduate school at the University of Kansas to become the Chemistry Professor he is now at Truman State in Kirksville. I was around this time that his oldest son was born very premature and lifting ended up being sacrificed for many years. Then about 8 or so years ago John was very overweight and decided to do something about it.
John was training hard and lost 50lbs in the process. There were a couple of students that were entering my JWC Strongman contest and they challenged John to enter, John told me they “teased” him and for them…..that was a bad idea! John not only entered that contest….he won his weight class and rather decisively as I recall.
John had strength, but he is also very athletic, able to adjust to events on the fly. He will tell you he operates off of “brute” strength, but I say it’s more than that. He has an intelligent strength that is also athletic. If strongman contests did not divulge the events, my money would be on John. Recently, we were at Al’s Dino Gym where there is something called the “pill”. A giant pill shaped metal object loaded with sand. John spotted it, walked over and hoisted it…becoming the oldest person to do it (at age 42)….but more than that, what impressed me was his ability to lift it without much planning or practice, or even warm up!!!! He walked up, sized it up, then lifted it! That’s more than brute strength.
John said after that first JWC contest he began to only train for strength, beginning a lifting career in his mid 30’s….when most guys are quitting! Since that time, he has competed in Olympic lifting, Strongman, USAWA, Highland Games, and most recently, Highlander meets. John has done well in all and is a two time masters National Champ in Highlander. More importantly, that first contest was how we met and our friendship began and most of these contests were events we traveled to and/or competed in together!
Another aspect of our relationship started right after that first Strongman Contest that John entered and won. The next day the JWC was doing a strongman evangelism show at the local YMCA. I noticed John was in the front row. He told me later he watched us and thought, “I can do those things” but more than that, he believed in the REASON we were doing them. Which I will go into in Part 2 of my article!
Next: Part 2 of “John O’Brien: True All-Round Athlete”.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
John O’Brien: Part 2
February 24, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
John O'Brien "blowing up" a pop can using his incredible grip in one of our JWC evangelism shows! by Thom Van Vleck I will continue my story on my friend and strength athlete John O’Brien.
In part one I ended with John coming to one of our strongman evangelism shows. John approached us about joining our team. We are always happy when guys want to join us, but we also want to make sure they are in it for the right reasons. Now, I’ve NEVER turned down anyone that wants to join us, but I also want to make sure guys know that it’s not “all about physical strength” but a real Christian ministry effort. We don’t “show off” we “share” our God given talents for strength for God’s glory.
I invited John out the the JWC gym to meet with him about his desire to join the evangelism team. John had this amazing and wonderful story about his son, Xavier (who recently became an Eagle scout!). He talked about how he had drifted away from God and Church and that science had, in essence, become his religion. He came to believe that science could answer any question about life. Then along came Xavier. He was born at 23 weeks (normal is 40 weeks!) and weighed 1lb and 4oz at birth. His weight actually dropped to 15oz….LESS THAN A POUND!
The doctors told John that Xavier had a 25% chance to live and a 5% chance of being normal. It was touch and go and things were tough emotionally for John and his wife Andrea. But it was a moment when John realized that science did not hold all the answers and surrendered himself to a higher power. Xavier began to improve to the amazement of all. John credits God for Xavier’s progress and recovery and what a recovery it was and continues to be! He is a top scholar in school, he looks like a normal teen in every way, and he’s a mature, tough, likable young man that we are all proud of.
It was at that meeting that I knew John was a special man, not just in strength, but in all the ways that make a man a real man in my book. John became a core member of the JWC Strongman evangelism team and we have had many great shows together which now number in the hundreds and I hope we have many more to come! We have even traveled to the Arnold Expo in Columbus, Ohio where we met Arnold himself (a story unto itself!) and got to perform for hundreds. If there’s any question to John’s “go time” attitude regarding his strength, it was at this show John drove a nail deeply into his hand during a tough bend and he not only finished the bend, he taped up and performed the rest of the weekend. John is a world class bender. Another core member of our group is Brett Kerby. Brett was already a world class bender and John took a keen interest in it. With Brett’s tutelage, John soon became the master! It was funny that later he commented that Brett was not a very big guy and surely if he could do it, then John thought he could, too. That’s John’s attitude about a lot of things….if you can do it….he can, too! Brett and John have pushed each other to greater heights than they probably would have ever done alone.
John approached bending like he does most everything he does….obsessively….my kind of guy! He began to bend all the time. He told me a story that his division head at Truman State, where he teaches, came to him and said he had to stop bending in labs….because the students were afraid to come up to him as he bent 60 penny nail after nail and threw them in a pile. He bent his first red nail in one of our shows. I got the crowd all worked up and he had 60 seconds….he bent it in about 15 seconds…making it almost anti-climatic! His best bends to date are the 4.5″ Red Nail (5/16th cold rolled steel), 7″ X 5/16th grade 5 bolt, and a 4.5″ X 1/4″ grade 8 bolt. He also bends horseshoes and wrenches in our shows.
John is a good friend. His recent accomplishment merited an update on an earlier article and I’m sure that there’s plenty more to come from him. If the USAWA version of Old time Strongman catches on, I think John will be a top contender!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Longterm USAWA Members
February 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dale Friesz has been an active member of the USAWA since the first year of membership in 1988. Dale has had more reasons than anyone to have let his membership lapse, yet he maintained his yearly membership to support the USAWA. Lifters like Dale are the foundation of our organization.
Last week’s Quiz of the Week was a very important one for one simple reason – it gave recognition to those USAWA Members who have been yearly members since the first year of the USAWA. These 5 USAWA member have showed extreme loyalty to the USAWA by being members all these years. It is easy to miss a year of membership - such as a lack of competing due to illness or injury. I know this could have been the case for a couple of these lifters, yet they STILL maintained their yearly membership despite the physical hardship. Most lifters don’t do that – they rejoin when they are able to compete again. These lifters should receive an award for their loyalty to the USAWA (hmmm…. who’s the USAWA Award Director? I may have to talk to him about this. Especially since NEXT year is the 25th anniversary of the USAWA). Just for those who missed the quiz, I want to list these USAWA VIP members again:
Bill Clark
Casey Clark
Joe Garcia
Art Montini
Dale Friesz
Now I want to mention a few others that have been longterm members of the USAWA, but maybe now are retired or just joined a little later. The initial class of members in 1988 included such notable lifters as Bill Clark, Bill DiCioccio Sr., Joe Garcia, Cindy Garcia, John McKean, Noi Phumchaona, Howard Prechtel, John Vernacchio, Casey Clark, Dale Friesz, Jack Lano, Art Montini, Tom Ryan, Bob Burtzloff, Phil Anderson, Steve Schmidt, John Wilmot, Harrison Skeete, Attilio Alacchi, Paul Knauer, Joe McCoy, Dave Hahn, Clay Oliver, Ron Sisk, Gonzalo Gonzlsez, and Ed Zercher. There were several more than this that joined that year. However, all together, the USAWA membership was still short of 100 members that first year. USAWA Hall of Famer Frank Ciavattone joined a year later in 1989. He has been a member every year since. USAWA Executive Board member Dennis Mitchell also joined in 1989 and hasn’t missed a year of membership. A couple of long-term members joined in 1990 and haven’t missed any years of membership since joining – our President Denny Habecker and Hall of Famer Jim Malloy. A few lifters, like John McKean and Steve Schmidt, only missed a few years of continuous membership due to lifting retirement only to reappear as active lifters. All these lifters deserve special recognition for their many years of support to the USAWA. The only USAWA club that has maintained club membership since 1988 has been Clark’s Gym.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Year in Review
February 26, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Next week I’m going to get the 2010 USAWA Year in Review Books printed. Please let me know soon if you want one. The cost is $40 ($50 if you also want an updated Rule Book). Please send payment to me and make your check payable to the USAWA. So far, this is the list of those who have ordered a book.
Al Myers – Paid
Frank Ciavattone – Paid
Dale Friesz – Paid
Denny Habecker
Thom Van Vleck
Art Montini
Randy Smith
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Wrist Wraps & Knee Wraps
February 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I just want to take today and clarify the USAWA’s stance on wrist wraps and knee wraps. I know last week (in the Dear Dino Man column) I made reference to our organization not allowing any kind of wraps, and I have received a few questions regarding that. The Dino Man’s response was a little extreme, because in truth our organization does allow wrist wraps and knee wraps in certain lifts. That response was more aimed at the ridiculous use of lifting suits and supportive bench shirts, which allow a lifter to lift WAY more weight than they could without them on. But today’s story is not about my opinion on supportive lifting equipment – so that’s all I’m going to say about that. This story is about what the USAWA allows in regards to wrist wraps and knee wraps.
With the March Postal Meet approaching (the Eastern Open Postal), this discussion becomes very relevant. This postal meet contains the 12 inch base squat as one of the lifts. Last June at the Annual National Meeting of the USAWA the topic of knee wraps came up. Where they allowed or not? The membership was divided on this – meaning half thought they were and the other half thought they WEREN’T allowed! Apparently in 1997 the use of knee wraps was approved by the membership for the front squat and 12 inch base squat. This issue was never brought forth in the Rule Book and thus a lot of lifters assumed from that point on that knee wraps were not allowed for these two lifts. The only lifters who knew they were allowed were those in attendance at this 1997 meeting. The problem this has created is that some lifters were wearing knee wraps for the front squat and 12 inch base squat in postal meets since then while others were not. Several USAWA records were established from that point on with knee wraps. It is nearly impossible to go back now and identify these occurrences so the membership at the 2010 meeting voted again in favor to allow knee wraps for these two lifts ONLY (front squat and 12 inch base squat) and make this point known in the current Rule Book. This rule is now part of the updated 4th Edition USAWA Rule Book. This knee wrap rule for these two lifts comes into accordance with the IAWA rule which also allows them. The regular stance squat is an IAWA lift (not a USAWA lift) and knee wraps may also be worn with it. Also, dimension specifications of legal knee wraps were added. They are not to exceed 2 meters in length, with maximum width of 10 cm and maximum thickness of 1 mm.
Wrist wraps have been allowed in the USAWA since 1997 for all lifts. Before this wrist wraps were only allowed for lifts that allowed back hang and front hang (mainly the dumbbell swings). The specifications of legal wrist wraps are not to exceed 1 meter in length, with maximum width of 10 cm and maximum thickness of 1 mm. The rules also state if the wrist wraps contain thumb loops, they must be removed from the thumbs prior to lifting. Now don’t confuse wrist wraps with wrist straps. Wrist straps or lifting straps that attach the hands to the bar are NOT allowed!
Section VI. 12 states that all equipment (including wrist wraps and knee wraps) may be required to be inspected by the meet official at weigh-ins. If the equipment does not meet the rules criteria, this equipment will not be allowed to be used in the competition. I hope this clears up some of the confusion regarding wrist wraps and knee wraps usage in the USAWA.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Oldest USAWA Members
March 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Jack Lano performing a Snatch. Is he the oldest current or past USAWA member?
After last weeks quiz, Tom Ryan presented some additional questions on the USAWA Discussion Forum. Tom’s questions were quite a bit harder than mine, and after much discussion on the forum, the group has came to a unified conclusion on the answers. I think these should be shared in the USAWA Daily News because I know not everyone follows the discussion forum. The answers to these two questions are a very important part of USAWA history. These were Tom’s questions:
I’ve got another quiz question for you regarding USAWA members. Actually it is a two-part question:
(a) What deceased USAWA member was born before every other person who has at any time been a member of USAWA?
(b) Among current and past USAWA members who are still alive, which one has the earliest birthdate?
Immediately, I thought I knew the answer to the first question without looking anything up. How could it be anyone other than the St. Louis Strongman Ed Zercher I ?? Ed competed in the first years of the USAWA and was in his early 80’s at the time. I couldn’t imagine anyone who was a member born before Ed Zercher. Ed Zercher I was born on 8-19-07. But I was wrong on this, and Tom pointed it out to me. The legendary, ageless powerlifter Henri Soudieres actually has the oldest birthdate among any past USAWA members. He was born on 8-5- 06. There was some discussion that another lifter, the longtime well-known AAU Weightlifting official Jim Messer may have been the correct answer because he had an older birthdate ( he was born on 10-19-05), but his past membership in the USAWA could not be confirmed. He competed once but it must have been just exhibition.
The second part of Tom’s question was even more difficult. Everyone knows that the current active member who is the oldest is none other than Art Montini (Art was born on 10-11-27). But surely there is a PAST USAWA member who is older? Lots of names where proposed, and many lifters with older birthdays than Art were mentioned. But are they still alive? That is when the difficulty in answering this question comes into play. My guess was none other than the man of many talents – Jack Lano. Jack was born on 4-17-22. No one came forth on the forum to prove me wrong on this – so that is the answer I’m going with. However, Tom is still skeptical. That is just how he is about confirming the facts (he will have to visit all past lifters gravesites before he is convinced), but it is a good thing because he keeps me in check from giving out wrong information. He is right in that several lifters were mentioned that had older birthdates, but confirming they were STILL ALIVE was the question. I will gladly print a retraction of this story if someone proves things differently. Please check out the discussion forum if you want more details concerning the discussions that led up to these answers.
And finally – thank you Tom for asking this question! It was very thought provoking and brought up many names of lifters that I have heard about.
Coming tomorrow
Since we are in the discussion mode of talking about old lifters, I want to mention a past USAWA member who was the oldest lifter to EVER compete at a USAWA National Championship. He was 90 years old at the time. This is a question that I have personal first hand information on, since this lifter was very close to me. But that’s tomorrow’s story!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA History
My Grandfather Clyde Myers
March 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
My Grandfather Clyde Myers deadlifting 100 pounds at the 2006 USAWA National Championships. He is the oldest lifter (at age 90) to have EVER competed at the USAWA Nationals.
Yesterdays lead in question of “who was the oldest USAWA member to ever compete in an USAWA National Championships?” brings me to a story I would like to tell. Actually, this is a story I have wanted to tell for a long time but just now am ready to tell it. This lifter was none other than my Grandfather Clyde Myers. Gramps competed at the 2006 USAWA National Championships at the age of 90. I was the promoter of this meet, and he really wanted to compete to show his support to me and our organization. Grandpa was not a lifetime weightlifter, but his years of manual labor as a farmer built his strength beyond that of “normal people” his age. He was very active up till his death at age 92, on August 5th, 2008. He was born on September 30th, 1915. The last 8 years of his life he lived with me and my family. Grandpa was always a very active man, and seemed to always be in great physical shape. Now living with me, he started to take interest in my weight training. Nearly every week he would spend time in the gym with me, and often he would do some light weight training. He began to love exercise. I know he would have been a great weightlifter if he would have had the opportunity to lift when he was younger. But in his day the notion of physical exertion for the “fun of it” or for “health reasons” was looked down upon by those in the farming community. Farming was so physically exhausting at that time it was felt you should be saving your strength for the work at hand, and use it for something beneficial, like providing a living for your family. I remember as a kid when I first started weight training Grandpa didn’t understand why I would be wasting my time picking up a barbell when all I really needed to do was go out in the plowed field with him and pick up rocks all day! That was the way he was brought up. It wasn’t until he retired and was living with me till he discovered what “physical culture” really meant. His days of hard farm work was behind him and he soon realized that exercise was the “spice of life” and that if he spent his days doing some light weight training and exercise he felt better.
Clyde Myers with his World Record 2-Hand Pinch Grip of 66 pounds at the 2006 Dino Gym Record Day.
Grandpa Clyde usually did my record day every year, and joined the USAWA because of it. He liked the idea of breaking or setting records and since he was in an age group where it is slightly easier (not too many records in the 85 and 90 age brackets) to get a record, it was a sure thing he was going to “come away” with a few. He especially liked the grip lifts because he could lift weights in these lifts comparable to younger age groups. His best USAWA records are a 66# Pinch Grip, 118# Right Hand 2″ bar Vertical Bar Deadlift, and 134# 2 bar 2″ Vertical Bar Deadlift. All of these records were set in the 90-94 age grouping, 80-85 kilogram classes. He also was very proud of his grip strength in the Hand Dynamometer. A Hand Dynamometer is a hand held device that measures your grip strength in pounds and kilograms. Dale Harder has made this device well known in his books as he keeps track of ranking lists with it. In one on his latest books, Strength and Speed published in 2009, he lists Clyde Myers as the best of ALL-TIME in the One Hand Dynamometer with a grip reading of 42 kilograms for someone over 90 years of age. He also holds the ALL-TIME World Record in the One-Hand Partial Deadlift for a lifter over the age of 90, with a fine lift of 205 pounds. In this lift, a chain and handle is attached to a bar and the bar is only lifted an inch or so off the floor. This record is also included in Harder’s book. His 66# Pinch Grip is also listed as a World Record for lifters over 90. It is interesting to note that the 80 plus age group Pinch Grip World Record is held by the famous Australian Strongman Harry White, with a lift of 72 pounds. I witnessed this lift of Grandpa’s as I judged it at one of my record days and I can tell you it was a sub-maximal effort. He had never done a Pinch Grip before and I loaded it up for him thinking it would be “about right” for him and he did it easily. He didn’t try anymore. In fact, he only took that one attempt and it was the World Record!! When his records came out in Dale’s listings, he was very proud of it and made me make a photocopy of it so he could show his friends!
I was quite surprised when he said he wanted to enter the Nationals I was hosting. I didn’t pressure him at all to do it. Besides my little record days, this was the only official meet he ever entered. Several of the lifts in this meet were very difficult – lifts like the Steinborn and the one arm Snatch. I was a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to EVEN do the lifts! But he surprised me and won Best Lifter for the over 90 age group (uncontested of course) and received a nice plaque for his efforts. Again, this made him feel very good about what he had done, and it was well deserving, because he did what no one else has ever done, and that is competing in a difficult National Championships in the USAWA over the age of 90. Others may eventually do it, but he will always be the first.
Grandpa in front of the Dino Gym Sign, which he drew and painted.
Most people don’t know this outside of the Dino Gym, but my Grandfather was a self-taught artist and was the one who drew the Dino Gym Logo. I told him what I wanted and he went to work. It was done entirely free hand and his first copy was the one we used! It was perfect from the start. The Dino Gym contains the original sign which he created. When I first had T-Shirts made with the Dino Gym Logo on them he was amazed. It was the first time (and only time) that one of his drawings was on a shirt! That means alot to me now, and I often wonder how he would feel if he knew how many lifters are wearing the Dino Gym Shirts around today.
My Grandfather was very eccentric in lots of ways (I know I am too – so that’s where it probably came from!). He was also an inventor and craftsman and built lots of interesting and unique things in his life. As he got interested in physical exercise he decided to “invent” an exercise device that catered to the elderly. Most older people can’t do the exercises (like riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill) that younger people can do. Grandpa designed and built a very interesting seated machine that allowed a combination of cardiovascular training, flexibility training and resistance training all at the same time. He “marketed” it to the local nursing homes and sold several of them. I’m sure some are still in use today helping elderly patients in physical rehabilitation. He picked a novel name for it – as he called it “The Exerciser”! He considered himself the testimony of it and would always do the demonstrations himself when selling a unit. How can anyone argue with the sales pitch when a 90 year old is making it look easy and appears in great shape??? He trained on it three times per day – every day. The Exerciser kept getting more complex as he kept adding new parts to it to do different movements. (I’m sure this story explains a little about myself for those that have seen my Dino Gym). Grandpa always wanted to get a patent on it but never took the time to make that happen, as he was too busy thinking of the NEXT thing he wanted to build. This was just one of the many original things that he built in his lifetime.
My Grandfather Clyde Myers was also an outdoors man, and loved to spend his free time fishing. We spent several hours together on the bank of a pond with our hooks baited waiting for a big catch. He is the reason I am also an outdoor sportsman.
Grandpa died the day I got back from the 2008 USAWA Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. I was very worried about leaving as I knew he was in bad shape and might not last until I got back. The day before I left he assured me that he would be alright until I got back, and for me to go “give it my all” at the meet. He was always very supportive of my lifting efforts and would listen to all the details of the meets. Well, the day I got back he passed in his sleep. He was one of the most influential men in my life, and helped shape me into the man I am today. There is not a day that passes that I don’t think of him and miss him, but I know his heart was with The Lord and I will see him again.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
2011 Nationals: Guaranteed FUN!
March 3, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Just a reminder that we are just 3 months out from the USAWA Nationals this year. I am working hard to make this event memorable in many ways. It’s my goal to make it the “BEST EVER”! But that will only happen if YOU come! It’s the people that make the USAWA special and I NEED you to come to Kirksville this year!
I am getting some donations and I’m working hard to spend every penny of it to make sure this is a good time, but the entry money also goes a long way in making this meet special. If you have never done this type of thing before, let me tell you, the MORE advance notice you have about who’s coming to the meet the less waste you will have (ordering too many shirts, too much food, etc) and the more efficiently money can be spent on those who come. So make the commitment today, send me an entry and a check, and trust me when I issue this challenge:
If you can look me in the eye when this contest is over and tell me that it was the WORST you have ever been to, I’ll give you your entry money back (and of course, you have to give back any awards, shirts, or other goodies you got….that’s only fair). So, have you ever been to a contest with that kind of guarantee? And you can’t say worst if it’s the ONLY one you’ve been to!
Send in your entry today!!!!! Thanks!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
STAN PIKE – “I WAS BORN TO WORK”
March 4, 2011 | Authored by Dave Glasgow | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
STAN PIKE LIFTING THE INVER STONE.
IN 2006, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FINALLY VISIT SCOTLAND, THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF MY PATERNAL GREAT-GRANDFATHER, JOHN GLASGOW. THIS HAD BEEN ON MY ‘TO DO’ LIST FOR SOME TIME AND WHEN IT DID COME TO FRUITION, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED IN ANYWAY OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I RAN OUT OF TIME MUCH TOO QUICKLY.
THE THING THAT STRUCK ME THE MOST DURING THIS TRIP WAS THE RUGGEDNESS OF THE LAND, THE TOUGHNESS AND ENDURANCE OF THE FOLKS THAT INHABITED IT AND THE ADMIRATION OF THESE PEOPLE FOR STRONG INDIVIDUALS. IT WAS AT THE WORLD MASTERS HIGHLAND GAMES, IN INVERNESS, THAT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RUN ACROSS AND VISIT WITH ONE OF SCOTLAND’S STRONGMEN. STAN PIKE.
WHAT IMMEDIATELY GETS YOUR ATTENTION ABOUT STAN, WHEN YOU FIRST MEET AND SHAKE HANDS WITH HIM, IS THAT TO DO SO IS AS IF YOU ARE SHAKING HANDS WITH A GRIZZLY BEAR!! I HAVE MET ONLY ONE OTHER PERSON IN MY LIFE THAT HAD SUCH HANDS AS HIS!! THESE HANDS, I FOUND OUT MORE RECENTLY, COME FROM A LIFE OF HARD WORK AND HARDER PLAY.
STAN WAS BORN IN NORTHEAST ENGLAND. HIS LINEAGE IS IRISH, NORSE AND AUSTRIAN. FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE, HE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH BACKBREAKING, TEDIOUS WORK. THE SON OF A COAL MINER, HE WAS REQUIRED, EVERY DAY, TO PROVE HIMSELF.
“You wanted to be a man, especially in a mining community. You proved yourself being a man by being strong and tough. That was the way I was brought up. The lads that I used to work with were also strong, and part of the joy of the day was getting hold of each other and beating each other up”. – Stan Pike
THE LIST OF JOBS HE HAS DONE IN HIS LIFE WOULD TAKE FAR TO LONG TO PUT TO PAPER, HOWEVER, JUST SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT STAN HAS HAD TO WORK FOR A LIVING HIS WHOLE EXISTENCE. THE OCCUPATION HE HAS REMAINED AT FOR THE LAST 30+ YEARS IS BLACKSMITHING!! JUDGING BY THE QUALITY OF HIS WORK, ONE WOULD BE TEMPTED TO SAY THAT BLACKSMITHING IS NOT WORK TO HIM, BUT RATHER A CALLING. HIS WORKS ARE, TRULY, REMARKABLE! HE ALSO HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING A SEVENTEENTH CENTURY FORGE FROM WHICH TO CRAFT HIS WORKS!
HOWEVER, THIS ARTICLE IS NOT ABOUT STAN’S WORK, BUT HIS PLAY!! STAN HAS HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN BOTH STRENGTH AND AEROBIC ENDURANCE INVOLVING KETTLEBELLS, BICYCLING, WEIGHTLIFTING, MARTIAL ARTS AND THE SO-CALLED ‘MANHOOD’ STONES OF SCOTLAND; NAMELY THE DINNIE STONES AND THE INVER STONE.
STAN PIKE LIFTING THE DINNIE STONES.
ACCORDING TO WRITTEN RECORDS, STAN IS THE OLDEST PERSON TO LIFT THE ‘DINNIE STONES’ UNASSISTED (WITHOUT STRAPS). AT THE AGE OF 58!! THIS IS A COMBINED WEIGHT OF 785lbs.!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DINNIE STONES, THEY ARE TWO LARGE, IRREGULAR SHAPED STONES THAT, IN ORDER TO LIFT THEM, ONE MUST STRADDLE THEM AND LIFT THEM BY WAY OF RINGS PERMANENTLY AFFIXED TO THE STONES. THE COMBINATION OF STRADDLE, RINGS, WEIGHT AND THE AWKWARDNESS OF THE POSITION ONE HAS TO GET IN, MAKES THIS A VERY IMPRESSIVE FEAT OF HAND AND LIFTING STRENGTH, INDEED!
BY STAN’S OWN ADMISSION, HE STATES THAT SOME MAY QUESTION HIS RIGHT TO CLAIM HE “TRULY” LIFTED THE STONES, AS HE DID NOT COME TO A COMPLETE LOCK OUT AT THE TOP OF THE LIFT. I WILL LEAVE THIS ARGUMENT FOR OTHERS. AS ONE CAN SEE BY THE PICTURE, THERE IS PLENTY OF AIR BETWEEN THE STONES AND THE GROUND. I, FOR ONE, HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE VALIDITY OF THE LIFT. AS A SIDE BAR, STAN HAS LIFTED THE FAMED “INVER STONE” (AN EGG SHAPED, RATHER SMOOTH STONE OF 265#) SO MANY TIMES THAT HE IS ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH THE STONE!!
TRAINING FOR THE MONUMENTAL TASK OF THE LIFTING OF THE STONES WAS BY WAY OF A BASIC PROGRAM OF CONVENTIONAL WEIGHT LIFTING AND KETTLEBELL WORKOUTS. HIS WORKOUTS ARE TO THE POINT, WITH NOTHING FANCY ABOUT THEM. HE TRAINS AS HE WORKS. HARD AND STRAIGHT FORWARD. BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF HIS SYSTEM:
WEEK ONE
MONDAY
KETTLEBELL WARM UP
CONVENTIONAL DEAD LIFTS 5 X5
HACK LIFT
STIFF LEG DEADLIFT
DINNIE RING DEADLIFTS (BEING A BLACKSMITH, HE MADE HIS OWN RINGS THAT HE USES ON A REGULAR OLY BAR.)
GRIP WORK
WEDNESDAY
KETTLEBELL WARM UP
INCLINE PRESS 5 X 5 TO MAX
SEATED SHOULDER PRESS/OLY BAR 5X 5 TO MAX
SEATED DUMBBELL PRESS 10 X 10 WITH MODERATE WEIGHT
GRIP WORK
FRIDAY
REPEAT MONDAY’S WORKOUT
WEEK TWO
MONDAY REPEAT THE SHOULDER WORK OUT
WEDNESDAY
REPEAT THE DEADLIFT WORKOUT
FRIDAY
REPEAT SHOULDER WORKOUT
STAN PIKE LIFTING THE DINNIE STONES AGAIN!
WITH THIS SYSEM, HE IS HITTING THE DEADLIFT WORKOUT TWICE A WEEK ONE WEEK AND ONCE THE NEXT, ALTERNATING WITH THE SHOULDER WORKOUT. HIS GRIP WORKOUT IS DONE AT EACH SESSION WITH “HOLDS” AND WRIST ROLLER BEING THE BULK OF THE WORKOUT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO USE KETTLEBELLS, STAN IS AN AVID ADVOCATE OF THE KETTLEBELLS. HE AND HIS GOOD FRIEND, BOB BEAUCHAMP, WROTE A MOST EXCELLENT BOOK ON THE HISTORY AND PROPER USE OF THE KETTLEBELL. HE IS RECOGNIZED AS THE PERSON WHO “RETURNED” KETTLEBELL USAGE TO THE U.K. AND GIVES CLINICS AND DIRECTS COMPETITIONS ALL OVER BRITAIN.
FINALLY, I ASKED STAN WHAT HE CONSIDERED TO BE HIS FINEST ACHIEVEMENT. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY HIS REPLY!! “I don’t consider anything I have personally done to be of any significance at all, I am only pleased to be still here doing what I do. I have plans for some other stuff as I get older.” – Stan Pike
WHAT A FANTASTIC, REFRESHING ATTITUDE!! I SEE STAN AS A GUY WHO IS NOT AT ALL SATISFIED WITH HIS ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND, IN HIS OWN MIND, HAS ONLY BEGUN TO SEARCH HIS OWN BOUNDARIES AND LIMITATIONS.
“I believe if you lie back and let life take you over, it will and you’re not going to get anywhere. I’ve always pushed myself to the limit but now I’m approaching 60, it’s starting to hurt a little bit.” – Stan Pike
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT, STAN! GO GET IT!
SLAINTE!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Big MISTAKE!
March 5, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Thom Van Vleck overhead pressing with one hand a 110 pound anvil. By looking at this picture it is easy to imagine the consequences if something "goes wrong" and the anvil slips out of Thom's open grip and falls on Thom's head. My advice is to always train a new lift before attempting max poundages and leave crazy strongman stunts like this to the professionals. (photo and caption courtesy of the webmaster Al Myers)
In this article I will detail what I see as the biggest mistakes I see new guys make as they enter into the world of the USAWA. Others might have an opinion and I”m not saying that I am right about this being “the” biggest mistake….but I think everyone would agree this can be a problem.
I entered my first “odd lift” meet 30 years ago, and since then I have been to many USAWA meets as well as all kinds of strongman, highland games, powerlifting and Olympic lifting meets. I have also done over 200 strongman performances. During that time I have seen guys witness a lift or feat of strength for the first time and say, “Can I try that”. They then try something they have never done before and go 100% in the effort. That, in my opinion, is a BIG MISTAKE! Sure, most of the time you’ll be OK, but it’s that one time that will end a season, or worse, a lifting career.
Recently, a friend of mine was in a strongman contest that included a steel bar bend. He sent me a video of his effort….that resulted in a muscle tear that he is now getting surgery for. He was trying to bend it behind his neck and dropped his elbows and ended up in a a position like someone trying to close a “pec deck” machine. Having bent literally hundreds of steel bars in various shapes, I cringed as soon as I saw it and soon enough he dropped the bar and winced in pain! He had never bent a steel bar before and had no plan on how he was going to bend it. I bend them all the time in our strongman shows and practiced this many times before ever doing it in front of a crowd or a contest where the pressure is on to go all out.
The nature of the USAWA makes it the “worst” for this kind of mistake. Other sports have a much more limited “range” of lifts which means they get practiced much more often. You can’t train hundreds of lifts, you can only have a strategy to train all around strength. I know Al Myers often trains one pressing movement, one pulling type movement, and one squat type, constantly mixing the specific lifts up. I also know Al will train a particular lift until he knows exactly how to do it and exactly how much he can expect to do on it before he enters a meet. I’m not sure if he was always a smart lifter, or if he became one as a result of many injuries (that’s how I got smart), or both. But I do know Al is a smart lifter who knows exactly what his ranges are come contest day. He not only knows this for safety reasons, but for strategy as well!
How often have you seen someone make a lift they have never tried before, say, “that was easy”, then say, “Throw on a couple 45’s” and then be buried by it! It’s the nature of many of these lifts. At best, it’s embarrassing, at worst, you get seriously hurt. My point is that you NEVER want to go right to a maximal effort the first time. The USAWA is full of fun, new, exciting….and dangerous….lifts. But they are only dangerous when you don’t know what you are doing! Take the time to learn the lift, warm up plenty, practice the lift before the meet, and pick your poundages wisely! Live to lift another day! Listen to the old timers….they are still lifting for a reason!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
The Dumbbell Walk
March 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Darren Barnhart, of the Dino Gym, performing the Dumbbell Walk last Saturday at the Dino Gym.
Often in the Dino Gym when the workouts are over, different odd training toys get pulled out for impromptu challenges. This happened the other day in the gym with an official USAWA lift, the Dumbbell Walk. The Dumbbell Walk is one of the most unique and strange lifts in the USAWA Rulebook. Years ago when I first read the rules on it, I thought “now there’s an odd one”. This lift is surrounded with mystery. How did it come about? I took a little time and looked through all my collection of back Strength Journals, books, and other mostly irrelevant strength information. I could not find one single bit of research on it! Who came up with it? It was one of the original lifts in the USAWA, meaning it was part of the group of lifts that got “adopted” with the first rules were adopted. It is an official IAWA lift as well as is included in the IAWA(UK) Rulebook.
The rules for the Dumbbell Walk are as follows from the USAWA Rulebook:
A distance of 10 feet will be marked out on a surface before the walk. The dumbbell and lifter must be behind the line at the start. The handle of the dumbbell must be 3 ½ inches in diameter. The lifter must hold the dumbbell with one hand only. The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. It is recommended to straddle the dumbbell during the walk, however, the lifter may carry it to the side. Once the lifter lifts the dumbbell and begins the walk, the dumbbell must not touch the walking surface before the finish line or it will be a disqualification. The dumbbell may be lifted to any height during the walk, but it must always be hanging at arm’s length downwards. The lifter must put the dumbbell down under control completely past the finish line for the walk to be complete. The non-lifting hand must not touch the dumbbell or lifting hand and arm during the walk. The non-lifting hand may be placed on other parts of the body. It is acceptable for the dumbbell to accidentally touch the legs or body during the walk, provided it does not aid in the walk.
This is the 3.5" dumbbell handle that must be used for the Dumbbell Walk.
This is one of only two USAWA lifts where a distance must be covered in the execution of the lift (can you name the other?). It has been contested only once in USAWA competition – at the 2010 Dino Gym Record Day. Only myself and training partner Darren Barnhart have a USAWA Record in the Dumbbell Walk. At this record day a Challenge ensued between us and Darren edged me out, 100 pounds to 95 pounds. I’m pretty sure the reason the Dumbbell Walk has not been contested more often in competition is due to the special dumbbell required, with the 3.5″ diameter.
This is an outstanding grip exercise. I think I might even put it in next year’s Grip Challenge at the Dino Gym. It is also one of those grip exercises where when you add just a little bit more, say only 5 pounds, and the exercise goes from easy to impossible!
This is a YouTube Video of Darren performing the Dumbbell Walk with 100 pounds at the 2010 Dino Gym Record Day.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
Medley Training
March 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
John Conner, of the Dino Gym, performing a Medley which consisted of a sled drag using live weight!
I REALLY like the big training days at the Dino Gym! The enthusiasm is high, motivation is at its peak, and the gym is filled with energy! You HAVE TO have a good workout on these days or you feel like you let down your training partners. Everyone at the Dino Gym is training partners – we all train with and help each other out at different times. Sure, some of us have different training objectives and might be on different training programs, but when it comes time for a lifter to put out a max effort in attempting a big lift or a personal record, we all come together to support each other. This is what I like the most about our gym – we are a family. Everyone supports the other in helping achieve progress or a just a good workout.
The big problem for me is trying to be part of all the action, and at the same time still get a good workout in for myself. The older I get the more satisfaction I get from seeing other gym members improve. This brings me to the story of the day. Medley training has always been a big part of our strongman training. It is a perfect way to end a workout because medleys will take you to the limit of exhaustion. For those of you not familiar with Medley Training - let me explain. It is called a medley because multiple events are done in sequence, one immediately following the other. It may just be a couple of events, or as many as you want! Any combination may be used, with different weights or different implements. Examples of events are drags, carries, or walks. The combination of events is endless, and a different “challenge” may be brought to the training table every training session. Medleys are a great way to get in a little extra cardio training at the same time as building functional strength. We try to set up our medleys to last between 30 seconds and a couple of minutes. It is a guarantee that you will be in a “pile” after finishing a difficult medley, and if you aren’t you didn’t put out enough effort and the boys will make you do it again. That’s just how it is at the Dino Gym! Peer pressure CAN be a good thing!
Last Saturday I witnessed Big John Conner perform one of the most entertaining medleys that I have seen yet. It was a carry-drag medley, with Big John first carrying a 300 pound keg 75 feet, followed by a sled drag of 75 feet with Colby being the added weight. Colby tops the scale at 325 pounds, so John didn’t pick a “light weight” for his drag. The sled weighs 135 pounds, so it was a total weight of 460 pounds. On top of this, he used my tire sled that is by far the most difficult sled around. It consists of a metal sled with a car tire bolted on the bottom of it. Talk about friction on concrete!!!! I swear I could smell burning rubber as John dragged Colby across the finish line! There was a point when I thought John wasn’t going to make the entire drag, but he gutted it out and finally got across the line. On top of John performing one of the most intense workouts I had seen in a while, Colby seemed to enjoy himself with the free ride. Since this seems hard to believe, I have included a YouTube Video of it just for your entertainment!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Another Daily News Story Competition
March 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
After the story I did on the Dumbbell Walk the other day I got to thinking how “unavailable” this special dumbbell handle is. It is a shame that a great all-round lift like the Dumbbell Walk is not performed more often just due to the fact that most lifters don’t have the implement. We are fortunate in the Dino Gym to have the equipment to do ALL the all-round lifts in the USAWA Rulebook, and sometimes I take that for granted. So it’s time for another writing competition!!! I received such a good response from the last one (on training tips or the use of a special training implement) that I’m going to do another one. This time the GRAND PRIZE will be a Dumbbell Walk Handle. But to make this competition even more interesting, I’m going to expand it. I am going to award SIX WINNERS, each receiving a Dumbbell Walk Handle. This way the odds are much better you will be a winner (because we all know how difficult it is to compete in writing contests with such notable writers as John McKean and Thom Van Vleck. That’s like taking on Steve Schmidt in a Teeth Lifting Competition!).
Since this unique gripping tool is at stake, this writing contest will be over a training program or exercise that you use to train your grip. Nearly everyone does some type of grip training in their training programs, so I think nearly everyone will have something that applies. I want this to be about a grip training idea or technique that really has helped your grip strength. The more original the better.
I plan to run these stories over a course of one week in the USAWA Daily News. The first day I plan to write a story about one of my secret grip exercises that has really helped my hand strength. But not to worry, I am not eligible. You will know if you are one of the winners when you see your story printed. That will build the suspense!! I have secured a judge for these stories that is impartial. This person is not very familiar with any of you, so “favoritism” will not be a factor.
It is VERY IMPORTANT to follow the rules of the competition for this one, because if you don’t your story may be rejected by the judge. Please send your story to me at [email protected] . I will send you an email response indicating that I received your story submission.
Now I expect after this the Dumbbell Walk will become a HOTLY contested USAWA lift next year. Hopefully, several new USAWA records will fall next year in the Dumbbell Walk!!
RULES FOR COMPETITION:
1. Stories are to be between 500-1000 words.
2. A picture demonstrating the exercise must be included. 3. The DEADLINE for submission is March 16th, by midnight.
4. Stories must be grip training related and original.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Continental Clean and Jerk
March 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
USAWA Hall of Famer Jim Malloy performing a Continental to Chest and Jerk. Or is he doing a Continental Clean and Jerk?
One of the lifts that is going to be contested next November at the 2011 IAWA World Championships in Perth, Australia is the Continental Clean and Jerk. Or is it the Continental to Chest and Jerk, as described in the USAWA Rulebook?? At first glance, one would think these are the same lift, just with different names. I know I did. But in comparing the IAWA(UK) rules for the Continental Clean and Jerk and the USAWA rules for the Continental to Chest and Jerk I found SEVERAL DIFFERENCES. The Continental Clean and Jerk is NOT an USAWA Lift and the Continental to Chest and Jerk is NOT an IAWA lift. I know – that’s confusing!!
The USAWA Rule for the Continental to Chest and Jerk:
A23. Continental to Chest
The lifter starts with the bar on the platform in front of the lifter and raises it by any method of the lifter’s choosing onto the lifter’s chest above the pectoral muscle. The bar may be raised in one or a series of movements and may come to rest, be lowered, or make contact with any part of the legs and body during the lift. However, the bar must not be upended into any position on the body. Hand spacing and grip are of the lifter’s choosing and may be altered on the bar during the lift. The hands may be removed from the bar during the lift. The bar may come to rest on the lifter’s belt. A towel may be placed in the belt for the bar to rest on. Touching the platform with a knee or the buttocks is permissible. It is a disqualification for the bar or plates to touch the platform before the finish of the lift. Once the lifter’s legs are straightened, the lifter’s body erect, the feet parallel and in line with the torso, the bar motionless, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar is placed on the platform under control by the lifter.
A24. Continental to Chest and Jerk
The rules of the Continental to Chest apply for the first part of this lift. Once the bar is in the proper position on the chest, a jerk or behind the neck jerk is performed. The rules of the Jerk or Jerk-Behind Neck apply.
The IAWA(UK) Rule for the Continental Clean and Jerk:
B28. CONTINENTAL CLEAN
The bar will be lifted from the floor, coming to rest in the finish position for the clean. The difference between the continental and the regular clean is the fact that it can be raised by any method of the lifters choice, other than upending the bar into position. The bar may be raised in one or a series of movements, it may come to rest, be re-lowered, and make contact with any part of the legs or body during the lift. Touching the lifting surface with any part of the knees or buttocks is permissible. The grip is optional and may be altered during the lift. The signal to replace the bar will be given when the lifter is motionless in the finished clean position, the bar gripped with both hands, body erect, legs braced and feet parallel and in line with the torso. A supportive belt with a folded towel or similar material placed inside it and at the front, may be used to assist the lifter, who may choose to clean the bar from the belt.
Causes for Failure:
1 Allowing the bar to make contact with the lifting surface during the lift.
2 Failure to maintain the finish position, bar on upper chest, legs braced and feet parallel and in line with the torso.
3 Lowering or replacing the bar before the referees signal.
B30. CONTINENTAL CLEAN AND JERK
The rules of performance for the continental clean apply to the clean part of the lift, and the rules of performance for the jerk apply to the jerk part of the lift, except that the jerk can be done from a position in front or behind the neck, it is the lifters choice. There is no limit to the number of attempts made to clean or jerk the bar, once it is lifted from the floor. The lift may also finish with a press out.
Causes for Failure:
1 The causes for failure are the same as for the continental clean, and the jerk, except that it is the lifters choice to jerk from a front or behind the neck position.
After reading these two rule descriptions it is pretty easy to see the differences. The USAWA only applies the use of “continental” to getting the bar to the chest, whereas the IAWA rule allows even the Jerk to be “continentaled”. Taking multiple attempts at the Jerk and allowing a press out (which is a direct rules violation of a Jerk, but then again the use of the term continental to describe a clean is also a direct violation of the definition of a clean) definitely makes the IAWA version of this lift a much easier method than the USAWA version. I might add that the IAWA version definitely will make the judging easier on interpreting the lockout!!!
I’m not interested in debating which is the “correct” rule for this lift. But I will say that these are two distinct different lifts. I just want everyone from the USAWA who plans to compete in next years IAWA Championships to be aware of this before they get there. It seems every year at the World Championships I am presented with a different IAWA rule for a lift that I was not aware of beforehand, because we (the USAWA) have slightly different rules on several lifts. This frustrates me because I consider myself “in the know” on the rulebook. Why do these differences persist? After all, all the rules for the lifts started with ONE WRITTEN RULE in the original rulebook from 1987. The IAWA(UK) developed their rulebook from these rules and the USAWA developed our rulebook from these original rules. As of now, there IS NOT a specific IAWA Rulebook, rather we use the IAWA(UK) Rulebook for the IAWA Rules. Unlike us (the USAWA), the IAWA(UK) have only made changes (besides editing and clarifications) based on membership votes at the IAWA Annual General Meetings, which contains representation of all countries involved in IAWA. We have made changes in the USAWA Rulebook based on membership votes at the USAWA Annual Meetings. The IAWA(UK) have maintained their rulebook this way so ONLY IAWA rules and lifts will be in play in the UK. This is the reason we have lifts in the USAWA that the English do not, as we have approved them at USAWA meetings and these same lifts were turned down (or not presented) at IAWA meetings by membership vote. The IAWA(UK) only accepts new lifts and rule changes into their rulebook that are accepted at the world meetings.
I won’t go into my opinion on these matters, but I hope in the future we will work better together in at least having consistent rules in the individual lifts. I know it will take time to identify and resolve all issues, but at least I feel we are taking steps in the right direction.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
Club Challenge
March 13, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by John McKean
THE 2011 USAWA CLUB CHALLENGE – THICK AS GRAVY
The Ambridge Barbell Club hosted this years USAWA Club Challenge. Pictured left to right: Art Montini, Phil Rosenstern, and John McKean.
I sure hope that nutritionists will discover that the Maple Restaurant’s famed thick, brown beef gravy is chock full of protein, vitamins, and minerals! Our hungry Club Challenge competitors sure slurped a lot of the delicious sauce down with big beef platters!! Joe Ciavattone Jr had been looking forward to this stuff all day (he even had his girlfriend research online the restaurant BEFORE he, his dad, and brother had left Boston!), and I think Chad and Al ordered an extra quart of the gravy as their beverage!! But it was an absolutely wonderful meal that capped off a perfect lifting day – truly a family gathering of happy and starving USAWA men who had traveled from Kansas, Boston, Lebanon, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Aliquippa!!
Actually air flight arrangements were a bit off, with our Kansas group not being able to arrive before 2:30, but that eventually proved to be a big plus. While waiting, the rest of us hit the Ambridge gym at about 11 AM, and ended up setting sort of a record in itself – we actually completed FOUR meets within one afternoon!! That is, we conducted a “Record Day”, 2 postal competitions, and then, well warmed, the Club Challenge.
Joe Ciavattone Sr., of Joe's Gym, performing an outstanding 2-Barbell Deadlift.
We have to give a huge thanks to co-meet director Art Montini for his skillful airport pickup & delivery system!! Joe Ciavattone & sons were obviously a bit concerned when arriving at 9 AM on Friday morning at the big Pittsburgh terminal, heading toward the outside doors, and there was ole smiling Art at the ready! They spent a relaxing day & night at Art’s place -as Joe told me “I can’t ever remember being this relaxed going into a contest!” Then, on Saturday afternoon, after lifting most of the day, ever energetic Art headed for the airport with perfect timing to intercept Al, Chad, and Darren ! They were back almost before we could get our second breath, and put us in real pain, as we entered into the main event !
As we warmed up, we had an unexpected treat -longtime powerlifter and Ambridge VFW member, 57 year old Phil Rosenstern, of deadlifting fame, was so impressed with the goings on (Phil was just innocently doing a normal Saturday workout when the craziness overtook him!) that he immediately joined the USAWA, then hoisted a world record hack lift of 450 at 198 pounds bodyweight !! It was fast, easy, and perfect, performed in front of 7 top level officials!! Welcome aboard, Phil !
Scott Schmidt joined the Ambridge Club for this team event and is showing perfect technique in his 253 pound Bent Over Row.
The meet went in our usual “scatter fashion” with groups doing the 2 barbell deadlift, bent over row, and neck lift in various corners of the VFW pit. It worked to perfection, with everyone encouraging another to the very best efforts. Even the jet lagged crew from Kansas summoned their “inner animal” toward the end, with both Chad & Al neck lifting phenomenal 750 pound fourth attempts! Their newcomer (to the Steel Valley) team mate, Darren was awesome in leading the Western men into battle, earlier having done a terrific, balanced 470 pound 2 barbell deadlift.
What more can be said about the Ciavattones – other than they are the strongest family team in the USAWA ?!! It was just fantastic to see old buddy Joe & his teen sons Joe Jr and Jon! And these men came to lift heavy, sticking at it all day,with records vanishing through their strong hands! Not to mention thick NECKS – these three guys set the bar for neck lifting standards at this contest; it was their collective performance that inspired me to include this lift in the contest (despite all the grief EVERYONE gave me about this painful harness event!!!).
Dino Gym teammates Chad Ullom and Al Myers both ended the day with record performances in the Neck Lift, each with a lift of 750 pounds.
Denny and Kohl once again brought “knives to a gunfight”, as they were the two man team in a three man event!! So, naturally, they won the two man team award with their usual record breaking prowess. I think they also had the meet record for the longest TIME traveled during that day with a round trip to/from Lebanon (PA) of about 12 hours (despite moans & groans about layovers from a certain group of cowboys!).
And what would a meet be without the smooth talking (he convinced the Maple restaurant over the phone to remain open for our after meet dinner!!) Scott Schmidt to drive over from Cleveland to be Ambridge’s third team member for the day? Scott did his usual stellar, perfect form performance, and even inspired old Art into setting 4 new Master’s records!
As Al summed up over dinner, the Club Challenge is certainly well established now as one of the USAWA’s premier events. We just may have more fun & comradary at this contest than any other! Next year let’s shoot for 10 teams!!!
FULL MEET RESULTS
2011 Club Challenge Ambridge VFW BBc Ambridge, PA March 12th, 2011
Meet Directors: John McKean and Art Montini
Officials: (3-official system used on all lifts): John McKean, Art Montini, Denny Habecker, Scott Schmidt, Joe Ciavattone Sr., Al Myers, Chad Ullom, Darren Barnhart
Lifts: Deadlift – 2 Bars, Bent Over Row, Neck Lift
1. Dino Gym – 3192.35 Adjusted Points
Lifter Age BWT DL Bent Neck
Al Myers 44 248 590 300 550
Chad Ullom 39 238 510 285 550
Darren Barnhart 43 285 470 285 400
2. Joe’s Gym – 3066.05 Adjusted Points
Lifter Age BWT DL Bent Neck
Joe Ciavattone Sr. 42 254 410 285 600
Joe Ciavattone Jr. 17 220 410 205 550
Jonathon Ciavattone 16 234 350 184 550
3. Ambridge BBC – 2773.84 Adjusted Points
Lifter Age BWT DL Bent Neck
John McKean 65 175 370 209 350
Art Montini 83 179 238 100 250
Scott Schmidt 58 251 363 253 264
4. Habecker’s Gym – 1679.02 Adjusted Points Lifter Age BWT DL Bent Neck
Denny Habecker 68 188 290 209 270
Kohl Hess 16 285 410 220 300
All lifts recorded in pounds and adjusted points are adjusted for bodyweight correction and age allowance.
Extra attempts for Record:
Chad Ullom – Bent Over Row 300# Chad Ullom – Deadlift, 2 Bars 550# Chad Ullom – Neck Lift 750# Al Myers – Neck Lift 750#
Record Day Session
John McKean – 175 pounds BWT, 65 years of age
Hack Lift – Fulton Bar: 195# Squat: 225# Jefferson Lift – Fulton Bar: 300# Deadlift – Fulton Bar: 300#
Phil Rosenstern – 198 pounds BWT, 57 years of age
Hack Lift: 450#
Scott Schmidt – 251 pounds BWT, 58 years of age
Pinch Grip – Right Hand: 136# Pinch Grip – Left Hand: 99#
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
When is a Jerk not a Jerk?
March 17, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Phil Jackson doing Jerks on the back yard platform of the old JWC Club (circa 1964)
Al’s recent article on the Continental Clean & Jerk got me thinking and there was a discussion about this on the forum. Al brought up the history of the Continental. Al talked about how the German lifters were typically well fed with potato pancakes, German beer, and strudel and they took to using their beer bellies to assist in lifting the weight! The English lifters referred to this technique as the “Continental” method (likely in a derogatory way) and referred to their own style as the “clean” method. The English, French, and Germans had a big rivalry back then…..led to a couple of World Wars….though I’m not sure how they lifted weights had anything to do with it but you never know! I do know that however one side would do things, the other would do the opposite, like the metric system, which side of the road to drive on, etc.
There was also a debate about touching the thighs. This was actually not allowed in Olympic lifting until the 60’s which is part of why you saw a leap in records around that time. For those that don’t know what I mean, back before the rule change you had to pull the weight from the floor to the rack position WITHOUT brushing the thighs. You could not touch the thighs at all in the “true” clean. Then, in the 60’s, this rule was changed and my Uncle Wayne is still mad about it! So, what many of us call a “clean” is really not a clean at all technically! Maybe I’ll submit that as a new USAWA lift, the “TRUE Clean & Jerk”. Maybe I’ll even name it after myself!
Other debated aspects included hang cleaning the weight and using the thighs to get a good push. I know I can hang clean more than I can power clean. Also, there was a debate about not catching the weight cleanly on the chest and using the the arms to push the weight into the proper “rack” position.
I know, so when am I going to get around to the topic in the title of this article! Much like the fictitious “Continental Clean” (you either Continental it in some manner or you cleaned it…post 1960 style!) The Jerk with a press out is really not a Jerk at all, but a Push Press with foot movement (which, I guess, really disqualifies it as a push press by USAWA rules). Maybe it’s a “push jerk”…..geez, now even I am confused.
When the sport of “strongman” came out they contested the log lift pretty heavily and there were no rules on how to execute this lift. Guys got pretty creative in how they lifted the weights. Eric Todd, a top strongman and USAWA lifter, would push press the log and then set in on his head! He would then push press the log off his head to a lock out position! This actually became pretty common…..until they made a rule against it. I heard different reasons for this, including that it was dangerous and also that it just looked stupid. I do recall reading of a guy way back that would catch a standard Olympic bar on his head and finish it in this same method…..now that’s what I call a Continental Jerk!
Now, on a side note. If you watch the old 8mm films of the guys in the 50’s and 60’s…..you saw a LOT of press outs. You look at some of Paul Anderson’s “jerks” and he would literally push press the weight. It often really becomes a judgement call on whether it’s a press out or a jerk. Rules are rules and are intended to clarify what’s allowed and not allowed. Sometimes they just confuse us more! Different people have different leverages and thus different styles offer them advantages. One thing I like about the USAWA is there’s something for everyone. But even the USAWA has rules, but I would like to make sure those rules don’t take those advantages away (or are simply used by some to capitalize on their own advantages). So, if there’s enough lifters in the USAWA to create a Continental Jerk, then someone needs to put pen to paper, make the rules, then present it at the Nationals in June where new lifts are approved. I know I would if press outs helped me! I also have no interest in setting a bar on my head to finish a jerk! One final note, could we change the name of it? I get tired of my friends laughing and making jokes about me being a Big Jerk.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Continental
March 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Thom Van Vleck, of the JWC, has the perfect body type to perform a Continental to Chest.
Last week’s story on the Continental Clean and Jerk stimulated alot of discussion on the USAWA Discussion Forum. I’m going to take a day and describe the term “continental” and some of the history about how it got named this way. I have said this before but I want to reiterate this point. I consider the term continental and the term clean to be two separate methods of bringing the bar to the chest. It is a misnomer using the two together. A clean is defined by bringing the bar from the floor to the chest in one motion while a continental is defined by using any method of bringing the bar to the chest (which often includes resting the bar on parts of the body as the lifter repositions). Calling a lift a Continental Clean violates the definition of each! To me it seems like the improper use of words – thus is why the USAWA calls it a Continental to Chest instead of a Continental Clean. Truthfully, even calling it a Continental to Chest is redundant because by using the term Continental the implication of taking the bar to the chest is already there. So why say it again? Now using the term Continental to describe a Jerk - that seems even more wrong to me. Continental should only be used to describe bringing the bar to the chest, and it is outside of its definition to describe an overhead movement. We have another term for that – and it’s called ANYHOW.
But how did the term Continental get named?
As Thom described in yesterday’s story, the Continental got named originally after the way the Austrians and Germans were bringing the bar to the finish position upon the chest, which wasn’t the way the French and English were doing it. It got named “continental” because that was the way “the rest of the continent” (besides the French and English) were bringing the bar from the platform to the chest. As Thom said, the clean was initially called a clean because the bar was brought from the platform to the chest WITHOUT touching the body in any way, and YES – that included the front of the thighs. Originally, a clean was “clean” (meaning away) from the body. The Continental was detailed quite well in David Willoughby’s book Super Athletes. Willoughby described in his book the history of the Continental much better than I can. The following excerpt is from this great book on weightlifting history.
Since the majority of the heavyweight lifters in the two Germanic countries were men who loved to eat and drink, their physiques were of the type in which it was difficult to bend over and lift weights from the ground to the shoulders without brushing the belly on the way up. Accordingly, the lifts favored by these men were two-handed barbell lifts in which the bar – prior to pressing or jerking it overhead – was brought to the shoulders not in a single clean movement, but by lifting it first onto the buckle of a strong, padded belt which was worn around the lifter’s middle. From there the bar was heaved up to the shoulders. Sometimes the bar was even rested on the thighs prior to lifting it onto the belt.
As for the IAWA lift the Continental Clean and Jerk, it’s not the lift that is bad – the lift just has a bad name. I think it should be called the Continental and Anyhow instead. That way the name properly describes the lift and doesn’t give the illusion that it is something that it’s not!
Categories: USAWA Daily News Jack LaLanne
March 19, 2011 | Authored by Dennis Mitchell | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
Jack LaLanne
Francolis Henrl LaLanne, better known as Jack LaLanne, was born an September 28, 1914, in San Francisco, California. His parents, Jennie and Jean LaLanne came to the United States from Oloron Sainte-Marie, France. It was his older brother Norman who nicknamed him Jack. He grew up in Bakerfield and Berkeley, California. As a child he showed no indication that he would become a “Fitness Guru” or lead a healthy life. As a youngster, he said that he was addicted to sugar and junk food, had a really bad temper, and was “A miserable goddam kid”. He suffered from headaches and bulimia, and at the age of 14 dropped out of school. The change in Jack’s life started at age 15 when he heard a lecture by Paul Bragg on health and nutrition. He started working out and changed his diet. He went back to school, and played football. After high school he went to college and earned a degree of Doctor of Chiropractic. In 1936 he opened his first health and fitness club in Oakland California, where he gave instructions on nutrition and exercising with weights. This was quite radical at this time, as the medical profession felt that lifting weights would cause heart attacks and make you musclebound, and cause you to lose your sex drive. He eventually had a chain of over 200 health clubs called The European Health Spas. He later sold his clubs to another company and the name was changed to Bally Total Fitness.
Jack is credited with inventing the leg extension machine, pulley machines, weight selector equipment, and the forerunner of the Smith machine. In the late 1930’s he had a short wrestling carrier. Jack had a television program where he gave advice on exercise, diet, and healthy living. The program lasted for 34 years. He wrote several books, made exercise videos, sold vitamins and exercise equipment, and the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer, which is still being sold. Jack set many endurance records in swimming, push ups, and chin ups into is 70’s. He continued his daily two hour workouts of lifting, walking and swimming into his 90’s. Jack LaLanne passed away on January 23, 2011 at his home in Morro Bay California. He was 96 years old.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Writing Contest Results
March 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The writing contest results for the “best stories on grip training” will begin to be announced tomorrow. The judge has determined the winners, and has given me the results. This judge even went a little farther than I expected, and RANKED the winning 7 stories. Only one small change – this judge convinced me to give 7 winners instead of 6 so I will have a story for each day of the week next week. That sounded like a good idea, and what’s another winner, so I took the advice and now there will be 7 winners. I want to thank everyone who sent in stories for this competition, and apologize to those who didn’t get selected as winners. If it was up to me EVERYONE would win (that is why I put this difficult task of selection onto someone else) but that’s just not possible. All of the submitted stories were great in their own way. I may do a contest like this again in the future so I hope if you were not selected this time you will try again in a later competition. I was overwhelmed by the number of entrants into this competition, and I know everyone will really enjoy the stories that will appear over the next 7 days in the USAWA Daily News. Lots of great information on grip training! As I said earlier, the winners will be announced one each day starting tomorrow. Tomorrows story will be the 7th place story, and each day a higher ranked story will be ran, ending with the number 1 story next Sunday. But the good news is – the ranking really doesn’t matter because EVERYONE who’s story is ran will receive the same prize - a custom made 3.5″ dumbbell handle by me for the official lift the Dumbell Walk!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
My Extreme Wrist Roller
March 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Al Myers finishing a set with 200 pounds on his Extreme Wrist Roller.
I am going to start off this week of stories on grip training by describing one of MY favorite grip exercises! Don’t worry – I am NOT one of the winning stories as technically I’m not eligible since I’m the one running the contest! I just want to share an exercise that is the backbone of my grip training.
The Wrist Roller has been around for years. Everyone has one and everyone has done this exercise at some point in their training history. Fifty years ago wrist rollers were practically the only grip exercise trained, and where included as part of “packages” in weightlifting equipment sales. York Barbell would sell equipment packages (back in the 50’s) like this – a 220# set of weights with a bar, a neck harness, a pair of Iron Boots, and a WRIST ROLLER. It was an important training implement back then, and still is – it’s just most lifters have forgot about it. I have used several wrist rollers through the years – from a rope on a dowel rod to now what I call My Extreme Wrist Roller. I am not a grip specialist, but I really enjoy the training exercises for grip. I do a little grip training every week. I don’t specialize on any specific type of grip strength – I try to do a little of everything. Some areas of grip strength I’m stronger at than other areas. I have a good squeeze grip, an average round bar grip, and not the best pinch grip. It is interesting how different lifters will have different areas of grip strengths.
The one thing I really enjoy about the Wrist Roller is that it works not just the grip, but the forearm muscles as well. Too many grip exercises are, what I call, “hand dependent”. This means the “lifting capacity” of these grip exercises are more about the size of the hand or the contact area of the fingers. Bigger hands and longer fingers – more surface adhesion. Growing bigger hands is not exactly something you can do. You are pretty much stuck with what you have. That is why I like forearm training better. You can ALWAYS increase the size of your forearm muscles or strength of your forearm muscles. How many “hand dependent” grip exercises do you train that feel easy up to your max, and then you add 5 pounds, and it becomes impossible? I can think of several – exercises like the Rolling Thunder and any Pinch Grip exercise. These type of exercises go for me like this – easy, easy, easy, impossible. And trying a little harder doesn’t help!! It is still impossible. The Wrist Roller is not like that. You can push yourself as hard as you would like. Sometimes I think I will NEVER get the loaded vertical bar to touch the bottom of the Wrist Roller (which I consider the finish of an attempt), but I keep after it till my forearms are SCREAMING WITH PAIN! You can accomplish any lift with a Wrist Roller if you want to try hard enough! That’s my kind of lift.
After a few sets with this Extreme Wrist Roller, your forearm will be PUMPED!
I like to do progressive loads with my Extreme Wrist Roller. I will usually start with a couple 45’s and then add weight as I add sets. I try to do 4-5 sets total in about 15 minutes. As I said, I’m not a grip specialist and usually do my grip training at the end of a regular workout. I only “train grip” with the time I have left over. But I’ll tell ya – 15 minutes on my Extreme Wrist Roller and you will know it! Your forearms will be “blood engorged” and cramping from the exertion. At times I can hardly close my hands when I’m done. I made this Extreme Wrist Roller several years ago. I was getting tired of those silly “rope on a stick” wrist rollers because I felt my shoulders were limiting me in how much I could wrist roll, because of the way you had to hold your arms out in front of you during the exercise. With my Extreme Wrist Roller, the wrist roller is supported by the cage and it takes all of the shoulders out of it, and places all of the stress of the exercise where you want it – on your forearms. The roller has a two inch knurled handle. Your grip will not fail before your forearm muscles give out. A side benefit is that the knurled handle will shave off all of your hand calluses by the time you are finished. After you get the VB to the top – the exercise is not over. You then need to lower it under control. Sometimes this seems like the hardest part.
Now I hope you won’t forget about wrist roller training.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
My Pinch Grip Training
March 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Scott Schmidt
Greetings, Fellow Strongmen!
Scott Schmidt shows his AMAZING Pinch Grip - with a 2 Hand Pinch Grip of 180 pounds and a 1 Hand Pinch Grip of 115 pounds.
After a recent performance at the Historic Ambridge Bar Bell Club Challenge, I was asked to submit an article describing my training techniques for the Pinch Grip Lift.
It is my pleasure to share these methods with anyone who is looking to improve their grip oriented lifting events. I will offer the recommended exercises I have used to improve my gripping strength. I have not “specialized” only in working on my grip. I do my grip exercises in between the heavy lift workouts of squats, pulls, overhead supports etc. I focus on grip movements in order to insure I do not have a weak link while doing the pulling in the Olympic Style quick lifts. That said, among the best grip training exercises are the results you gain from doing the snatch grip dead lift. Since it is an awkward position, it forces your grip to respond. You know your limit easily when the bar doesn’t finish to the top of the thighs. You also are activating other groups of pulling muscles while doing the snatch grip dead lift. This is a bonus because to pick up modest weight for hand strength only will not enable you to progress as fast. And, since the “grip only” muscles can be used up quickly, i.e. hands, fingers, and forearms, by doing an exercise which involves other muscles, you are not as likely to over train your “grip only” muscles.
In addition to doing 3 sets of 3 reps in the snatch grip dead lift 80% of max single, which of course can produce strength gains in many areas, here are some other exercises I do to improve my results when targeting a record in a “grip only” lift:
Lift Sets Reps % of Max
2 Inch Vertical Bar Deadlift 3 3 75
2 Hand Pinch Grip 4 2 80
1 Hand Pinch Grip 6 1 90
Bent Over Row 5 5 60
In summary, these 5 exercises have been very useful to me in order to achieve grip lift record results. Another movement you can do to help you set targets for improvement is to lift something awkward with one hand at a time. For instance, I get Spring Water delivered to my front door in 5 gallon jugs. I then have to take them to my gym area. To test myself, I have used the full bottles to see how long I can hold them from the neck. Or, how long I can walk with one in each hand. Just an idea to have fun improving your grip and break up the “iron only” exercises.
Hope this article helps you get rid of any “bottle cap twist-off” issues.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
A Subtle Way to Train Your Grip
March 22, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Mark Haydock
Mark Haydock demonstrates a three-finger bar grip.
From my early days of training I have always applied this approach to the way I grip and load the bar, as you read on I am sure you will agree it is a subtle way to train your grip.
There are two sections to this approach, the first is simply the way the bar is gripped, the second part is loading the bar.
Gripping the bar
The idea behind this approach to grip work is to train your grip all the time, even when it is not a grip session! I will use the deadlift as the example exercise, however, the same approach can be applied to most floor pulls, lat pulldowns/rows, shrugs, etc.
Most of the grip work is actually done with your warm up and lighter poundages. The first set of deadlifts may be with an empty bar, simply grip the the bar with your index finger, the second set use index and fore fingers, next set is three fingers, next set is all four fingers – with an open hand, the bar is almost resting on your finger tips, you may be able to maintain this grip for a couple more warm up sets, depending how strong your grip is. Once you hit a poundage that you cannot hold just adjust to your normal hook or reverse grip. Over time try to tweak your warm up poundages a little, as you would with your heavy singles or 1 rep max.
Using a finger tip grip to load plates adds grip training to every workout.
Loading the bar
The subtle element here is to only use I hand to pick up the weight plates when you are loading the bar for your training. Use your right hand when loading the right side of the bar and your left hand when loading the left side of the bar. Rather than use a deadlift loading lever to lift the bar use your fee hand to lift the end of the bar, grip the bar just inside the collar. Depending how good your grip is you can use a 1, 2, 3, or 4 fingers to grip the bar, the same applies to loading the weight plate.
The one handed approach to loading the weight plate also includes carrying the weight from the storage tree to the bar! Don’t cheat by using two hands or rolling the plate. With the lighter plates, 1.25kg,2.5kg, 5kg try using 1 finger and 1 thumb, as you use heavier weights, 10kg, 15kg, 20kg, 25kg and even 50kg you may need to use 2 or 3 fingers and a thumb. If you are loading a 25kg plate and you simply can’t carry it one handed try a two handed pinch grip, it all helps!
The key thing to remember with this approach is that it is a long term project, massive grip strength doesn’t come over night. However, once you have a good grip it stays with you for the long run.
As a final testimony to my grip technique I can honestly say I have never missed a deadlift or clean due to poor grip, touch wood I have never had any real problems with my grip!
Categories: USAWA Daily News Clubbells
March 23, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Jarrod Fobes
Karena Fobes demonstrating the use of Clubbells and the exercise Curls with Extensions.
My grip got a lot stronger from training my shoulders. Last year after multiple back injuries, a couple of rotator cuff tears, and even tearing the cartilage between my ribs (twice!) I was becoming very interested in exploring different ways to train. That’s when I discovered clubbells.
For those that don’t know, clubbells originated in India and have been in use for thousands of years. They enjoyed tremendous popularity in the west during the Victorian era, but fell out of favor with the advent of modern weightlifting. In recent years, renowned coaches such as Scott Sonnon and Louie Simmons have done much to bring club swinging back into physical training. They are steadily growing in popularity with martial artists and other oddballs.
Being the thrifty sort, my clubs are made out of PVC filled with cement mix. I put together a simple circuit of shoulder exercises consisting of front circles, windmills, and curls with extension and got to work on building up my shoulders.
The particular exercises are best learned via video or in person, but a brief description is as follows. All exercises begin with the clubs hanging at your sides.
FRONT CIRCLES: Draw circles in the air in front of you with the clubs. Your right hand will move clockwise from your perspective, and your left will move counter- clockwise.
WINDMILLS: You are still describing circles, but the angle has changed. Your right hand will start lifting in front of your left hip. As it rises, it will move back to the right side and fall behind you. The motions should be similar to doing a backstroke.
CURLS WITH EXTENSIONS: This exercise is as much to give your shoulders a slight rest as it is to work the rest of your arms. Perform an explosive curl that ends with your elbows pointed up and the clubs lying against your back, points down. From here extend your arms and fully tighten your triceps. Lower your clubs to the starting position. If you want, you can also combine this exercise with a squat to warm up your legs as well.
I did this circuit about every other day, doing the circuit for two rounds at first. After successfully completing two consecutive circuits for two workouts in a row, I would add another round, eventually working up to six rounds. When you can consistently perform six rounds of this circuit, it’s time to build heavier clubs.
The first thing I noticed was a dull ache in my hands and forearms, even before my shoulders began to fatigue. The clubs were just plain hard to hold on to, so I decided to come up with a little forearm circuit as well to conclude my clubbell sessions with. This consists of front wrist lifts, rear wrist lifts, and finger crawls.
FRONT WRIST LIFTS: Keep your arms as straight as possible, and lift the clubs to at least parallel to the floor using only your wrists.
REAR WRIST LIFTS: These are the same as front wrist lifts, except you hold the clubs in a reverse grip. Your wrist has a greater range of motion working this way, so try to whack yourself in the triceps with the clubs on each rep. Make sure your arm is straight though this will isolate your forearms more.
FINGER CRAWLS: You know how when you get really fatigued even the most simple task can seem difficult? Welcome to finger crawls. Let the clubs hang at your sides, and walk your fingers up the club until you reach the tip. Keep the club perpendicular to the floor until you reach the tip, then let the club flip over and crawl back to the handle. Repeat this circuit until one of the exercises fails. Most likely, it will be the finger crawl that you bonk out on.
After about six weeks on these two circuits, I had added noticeable mass to each of my hands. Even better, I went from being able to do 15 consecutive reps on my Captain of Crush trainer gripper, to 26 consecutive reps. My grip is as strong as it’s ever been, and what’s better is that my shoulders have never been stronger or more stable. No USAWA lifts incorporate clubbells, but consider adding them to your routine to bump your hand strength up to the next level.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Thom Van Vleck’s “Get a Grip” Tips
March 24, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
While Mac Batchelor had huge hands, he also developed them with many different implements and techniques. by Thom Van Vleck
This is my entry in the DB Walk 3.5″ handle contest! I like my odds better this time with so many winners. But honestly, me writing about grip training is a bit like a fat guy telling you how to diet!
A great grip has eluded me in my 34 year lifting career. Sure, there are things that I do better than others, like the pinch grip. I have also never lost a deadlift in a contest due to grip. But the reality is that I have small hands for my size and a strong grip never came naturally to me. So maybe you could consider me the “hardgainer” when it comes to grip and maybe that makes me more of an expert than I thought. After all, they say mediocre players make the best coaches. The best athletes generally don’t make good coaches because everything came naturally to them.
As a result, I’ve read a great deal about grip training. I would recommend any of John Brookfield’s books on grip training. I have also got to train with two of the best short steel benders in the world, John O’Brien and Brett Kerby. So, most of this comes from those experiences but I will end with one tip that I came up with on my own, so hopefully you will get at least one original idea out of this!
1. Specify
Over the years my focus has changed in the strength world. I have competed in Olympic lifting, Powerlifting, Strongman, USAWA All-round, and my passion for the last 15 years has been Scottish Highland Games. All require grip strength and lots of different types of grip strength. If you are going to do a bench press meet you don’t just work Behind the Neck Presses, you work the Bench Press and all the muscles specific to that event! Don’t just throw in some wrist curls at the end of your workout. Train your grip specifically for how you are going to need it. This doesn’t mean you find one grip exercise and work it to death. You need to get some books, read some articles, talk to some good grip guys and get a list going and keep track of what you think works for you. If you came to my gym I could show you over 100 grip exercises to do and all of them I have done myself at one time or another. In the process, I have figured out what works for me and for the specific event I need it for! 2. Training
Try to quantify your workouts as much as possible so you can be progressive. Don’t just take a weight and do it every workout, it’s PROGRESSIVE resistance that’s key. Keep some magnets around to add fractions of pounds. Get some fractional plates or the “poor boy” method is go to the tractor supply and get some large washers that will fit on a 1″ bar, two of them will weigh from 1/4 to 1/5 of a pound. Get enough to supplement your 2 and 1/2lb plates and if you can, get some 1 1/4lb plates. You need to be able to add fractions of weight to any implement and push yourself. Plan your workout, set goals, cycle your grip training just like you would for any contest, including giving it a break from time to time.
3. Mental Aspect of Grip
I think Grip training is more mental than most any other kind of training. I have watched John O’Brien and Brett Kerby grimace in pain doing the short steel bending and having folded a 60 penny nail a few times….it just hurts! Your hands are full of nerves and that is why. Sure, Squats are hard, but your hands will hurt! So, there’s a mental aspect to this that needs to be overcome. I saw John O’Brien drive a 60 penny nail deep in his hand and he still finished the bend and did three more shows that same weekend. Most grip guys have mastered pain. Working you grip requires pain tolerance and can also teach it! Brett told me that his hands have hurt so bad he thought he’d seriously injured them. It’ll hurt….get over it.
4. Just One Original Thought
Ok, let’s see if I can impress you. Most of what any of us knows about anything we learned from someone else. Here is something I came up with on my own (but that doesn’t mean someone else didn’t come up with it first). I noticed that when I trained my grip, everything involved my elbow being bent. I also noticed that most everything that I needed a great grip for involved my elbow being locked out (throwing, deadlifting, cleaning, etc.). So, I spend a lot of time working my grip keeping my elbow locked out. This usually involves hanging from a bar and squeezing the bar for reps (hanging from a bar has the added benefit of tractioning your back). It also means that whatever grip exercise I’m doing, I try and get myself in that “lockout” position and if possible, with my arm being stretched to get used to gripping as hard as possible with my arm straight and under tension.
So, those are my grip tips. I hope you have gained some knowledge that will help you “get a grip” on your next contest!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Ring and Pinky Thick Bar Deadlift & Farmer’s Drag
March 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Ben Edwards
Ben Edwards demonstrates the Ring and Pinky Fingers Thick Bar Deadlift and Farmer's Drag.
The ring and pinky fingers are the weak link when training with thick bars. This article introduces the reader to specialized training designed to improve the support grip strength of the ring and pinky fingers. I call this combo exercise “Ring and Pinky Thick Bar Deadlift and Farmer’s Drag.”
This is the hand placement for this grip.
The equipment needed is minimal. An Olympic barbell and about 200 pounds of weight plates will provide adequate resistance options for everyone from a raw beginner to an advanced strength athlete.
I borrow the name for this exercise from Farmer’s Walks – where an athlete walks while holding a weight in each hand.
A Ring and Pinky Thick Bar Deadlift and Farmer’s Drag is performed by grasping one end of an Olympic barbell – at the end of the loading sleeve – using only the ring finger, pinky finger, and thumb. Then you simply deadlift the barbell and then you have the option of dragging one end of the barbell while you walk with the end you’re gripping elevated.
To minimize damage to one end of the barbell it’s best to drag the bar on grass or dirt – if you choose to do the Farmer’s Drag – instead of the Farmer’s Deadlift.
As with the Farmer’s Walk, there are two basic methods of increasing the difficulty of the exercise.
1. Add more weight to the bar. The weight is added to the same loading sleeve that you are gripping with your ring finger, pinky finger, and thumb. That way the weight plates won’t dig a wide furrow in your yard if you’re doing the Farmer’s Drag. If you’re worried about the bar damaging your grassy training area you can secure the end of the bar that you’re not gripping into a single roller skate – duct tape comes in handy – and perform the Farmer’s Drag in your garage, on the street, or on a running track. All without fear of damaging the bar or the training surface.
The roller skate tip also works well for a trainee that isn’t strong enough yet to drag the empty barbell using their ring finger, pinky finger, and thumb strength.
2. Drag for longer distance if you’re doing the Farmer’s Drag.
Or hold for a longer period of time if you’re doing the Ring and Pinky Thick Bar Deadlift.
TAILORING A WORKOUT TO YOUR GOALS
For Maximum Strength – Heavy Loads and Short Holds.
Holds should be kept in the 5-second to 10-second range if maximum strength is your goal.
This holds true whether you’re doing the Farmer’s Drag or the Farmer’s Deadlift.
The Farmer’s Drag will simply be done for very short distances and the Farmer’s Deadlift will be done for low reps – anywhere from 1 to 3 reps.
For Strength-Endurance – Moderate Loads and Long Holds.
Holds can be much longer than when your goal is maximum strength. 30 seconds to 60 seconds is a common approach to strength-endurance training.
The Farmer’s Deadlift will be done for higher reps – anywhere from 8 to 20.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
All-ROUND Grip Strength
March 26, 2011 | Authored by John McKean | Edit by John McKean Rob McKean showing total body work (and enjoyment!) from squeezing the life out of dear old Dad!
My neighbor once shouldered a 604 pound wrestler and body-slammed him. A gym full of iron game devotees also witnessed him doing a strict bench press of 330 pounds for 38 consecutive reps – no wraps, no suit, no drugs! Except for a busy work schedule, my old buddy would have challenged Paul Anderson for a berth on the ’56 Olympic weightlifting team. Art Montini knew him as a fellow “Odd-lift” competitor (curl, bench press, press-behind-neck, squat, deadlift – like a version of All-Rounds, before official powerlifting!). You may know him as Bruno Sammartino! Yes, THAT Bruno – pro wrestling’s “Living Legend,” the athlete responsible for selling more tickets than any wrestler in history!
Before breaking in to the pro ranks, Bruno set all Pittsburgh heavyweight lifting records and even won a physique contest or two. During very intense workouts, however, his most unusual exercise, always thinking toward wrestling, was to grip a long, heavy boxing bag and squeeze for all he was worth. We would call this a “bear hug,” and the young lion eventually acquired the power to EXPLODE these rugged combinations of thick canvas and sand! In his first crack at the heavyweight wrestling title (in what was later revealed to be much more of a serious grudge match than “entertainment”), Bruno applied his very brutal gripping hold onto longtime champion Buddy Rogers, acquiring a submission within 47 seconds of the match! The total body Iso-Hug on a sparring mannequin, for all-round grip strength
Naturally, we young teens were anxious to emulate our hero’s training procedures. I found the heavy bag squeeze to be superb grip strength training, not only pumping the forearms, but also going full circle to yield arm, delt, and pec strength. Heck, the hips, legs, and back were intensely involved too – truly an all-round gripping exercise!! Since the material always “gave” a bit when hugged with intent, what started as an “isometric exercise” of sorts ended up more as a short range type movement, as in subsequent power rack lifts.
The old sand bags are still around, but few of our weightlifting gyms have them. I suppose you could sneak up and try this on a lifting partner – though I did this once with Art, and he BIT me (of course, I found out the hard way that Art was actually an undefeated collegiant wrestler in his early years!). These days, however, there are lifelike mannequins that provide a realistic type body gripping (see photos) and supply a rugged “moving isometric” form of work. Or you could build a bag – fill it with stones, sand, or straw. John exploding the top of a small sparring bag with his killer headlock !
One old time wrestler, Ed “Strangler” Lewis, a generation before Bruno, built himself a special skull sized bag to religiously train his deadly headlock. It was said no other wrestler, back in the 1920s when the professional sport was entirely legitimate, could ever defeat him. In fact, his crushing arm grip was so intense that even willing sparring partners were hard for ole Ed to come by! I can personally attest to the gripping STAMINA that a headlock squeeze will yield; if one holds on, giving his all, for a minute or more to a small bag, then the forearms and biceps feel swollen to Mr. Universe proportions!
WE in the USAWA pride ourselves on lifts that work the total body! Throw away those wimpy little hand grippers or soft tennis balls, and grab onto something that’ll cause all-round crunching effort!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
WORKING MAN’S GRIP TRAINING
March 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
DAVE GLASGOW IN FRONT OF THE FORGE THAT WAS USED TO HEAT THE DRILL BITS. DAVE IS USING THE 16 POUND SLEDGE HAMMER THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THIS STORY. THIS PICTURE IS FROM 1978.
FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER, SERIOUSLY, TRAINED GRIP, I THINK I HAVE A FAIR GRIP. I AM CERTAIN I KNOW WHY!! I SUPPOSE MANY WILL QUESTION IF THIS IS A TRUE “GRIP WORKOUT”, HOWEVER, I THINK THE STORY BARES TELLING, IF NOTHING ELSE.
MY DAD, JOHN, HAD A DRILLING BUSINESS THAT HE STARTED IN 1957. I BEGAN HELPING POP FROM AN EARLY AGE. WHEN I GOT OUT OF COLLEGE, (I DID’NT GRADUATE, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY!), I WENT TO WORK FOR POP FULL TIME. I WAS YOUNG, IN GOOD SHAPE AND I REVELED IN THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF THE JOB.
WE RAN WHAT IS CALLED A “CABLE TOOL” RIG THAT DRILLED MUCH AS A GIANT CHISEL DOES. THE MAIN COMPONENT OF THIS DRILLING RIG WAS A STRING OF “TOOLS’, AT THE END OF WHICH WAS A GIANT BIT. DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE HOLE YOU WERE DRILLING, THE BITS COULD WEIGH FROM #200 TO A HALF TON OR MORE. THE BITS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN HUGE CHUNKS OF STEEL WITH A SHARPEN END. IT IS THIS “SHARPENED” END THAT MAKES UP THE CRUX OF THIS STORY. IN ORDER TO SHARPEN THESE BITS, YOU HAD TO PUT THEM IN A FORGE, HEAT THEM UNTIL THEY WERE WHITE HOT, THEN, BEAT THE END WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER TO GET THE ANGLE (POINT) YOU NEEDED.
MOST OF YOU HAVE HEARD THE PHRASE, ‘STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT!!?’ THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD TO DO! TWO MEN WERE NEEDED TO DO THIS, WITH ONE MAN ON EACH SIDE OF THE BIT AND HAMMERED THE END WITH A SLEDGE UNTIL ONE OF THREE THINGS HAPPENED. ONE- YOU COULDN’T BREATH; TWO- THE IRON GOT TOO COLD OR, THREE- YOUR GRIP GAVE OUT!
NOW, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, I SEE IT HAS RECENTLY BECOME FASHIONABLE TO USE A SLEDGE HAMMER FOR AN AEROBIC WORKOUT. THAT IS ALL WELL AND FINE; HOWEVER, WE WERE DOING IT TO MAKE A LIVING!! AEROBIC WORKOUT BE DAMNED!!
THROW INTO THE MIX; WE HAD THREE DIFFERENT WEIGHTS OF SLEDGES. TWELVE, FOURTEEN AND SIXTEEN POUND, THE SIXTEEN HAVING BEEN USED BY MY GREAT UNCLE FOR THE SAME PURPOSE BACK IN THE LATE FORTY’S. AS YOU SEE, YOU COULD VARY THE WEIGHTS, REPS AND NUMBER OF SETS, JUST AS YOU WOULD YOUR REGULAR WORKOUT.
BY THE TIME WE FINISHED, I SWEAR, THERE WERE TIMES I THOUGHT MY FOREARMS WERE GOING TO EXPLODE! THIS WHOLE PROCESS WOULD TAKE ABOUT THREE HOURS FROM THE FIRST “BEAT” UNTIL YOU HAD THE FINISHED PRODUCT, TAKING ABOUT FIVE TO SIX “BEATS”, WITH ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES BETWEEN “BEATS”. THE NET RESULT BEING, FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, AND WELL INTO THE NEXT, YOU WOULD WALK AROUND WITH ‘POPEYE’ FOREARMS!
NOW, BEING YOUNG, DUMB AND FULL OF ….EAGERNESS, I FELT IT UNMANLY TO USE ANYTHING LESS THAN THE 16#. HOWEVER, AFTER THE THIRD “BEAT”, I WOULD RELENT AND CHANGE TO THE 14#, AS MY LUNG CAPACITY WAS NOT NEAR AS GREAT AS MY BONEHEADED PRIDE!!
SO, YOU BE THE JUDGE!! IS THAT A WORKOUT OR NOT??
I MIGHT ALSO COMMENT THAT MY POP, WHO WAS FARM BOY STRONG AND OIL PATCH TOUGH, WOULD OUTLAST MY BROTHER AND ME, THEN STAND THERE, CALL US “CANDY-ASSES” AND BURST INTO UPROARIOUS LAUGHTER AT THE SIGHT OF HIS OFF-SPRING GASPING FOR BREATH!! Deanna Springs Meet
March 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Garcia Wins 2011 Deanna Meet
Group picture from the 2011 Deanna Springs Meet. (left to right): Al Springs, Joe Garcia, Mike Murdock, Al Myers, Rudy Bletscher, Thom Van Vleck, and Dean Ross.
Last weekend at Clark’s Gym at the Deanna Meet a couple of things happened that NEVER HAPPENS. First, Bill was not there to “run the show” as he always is, and second, the meet had a big turnout. I know - 7 lifters in alot of cases doesn’t constitute a big turnout, but for the type of meets that are hosted at Clark’s Gym – it is. It was the second highest turnout for the Deanna Meet in its 16 year history (2004 had the most entrants with 10). It didn’t seem quite right having a meet in Clark’s Gym without Bill there. I have been to MANY meets in Clark’s Gym and this is the first time the “man in charge” was not there. But Bill had a good excuse – he was in Atlanta getting his shoulder replaced. Maybe with this new bionic shoulder Ole Clark will get back in competitive shape and surprise us with his new-found pressing strength? With him – anything is possible. I hope the surgery was a great success and he will be able to get back into the gym and back to his love of weightlifting. He was missed, but Joe Garcia took command and did an applaudable job as the interim meet director. On top of these duties, he defended his Deanna Meet Crown, and won Best Lifter again for the 10th time. YES – that is 10 Deanna Meet victories for Joe, the most of anyone ever. I tried to give him a little challenge but now that’s he’s lost weight (and he has KEPT his same strength) it was an imposing task which I failed at again this year. Joe is a great Heavy Lifter (and I consider the Deanna Meet a Heavy Lift Meet) and a well- deserving Champion of this meet. On top of this Joe turned in his BEST EVER adjusted point total (4018 pts), which is second of all time to Abe Smiths total in 2005 of 4111 adjusted points. I had my best point total in this meet to date (3630 points) which would have gave me the victory in 9 of the previous Deanna’s, but Joe at age 57 just keeps getting better with each year. I also got to mention that Joe kept the competition ”moving along”. We started a little before 12:00 and was completely finished by 3. Joe brought something into Clark’s Gym that I NEVER thought I would see there – a laptop computer!! He kept the results and used this modern technology to efficiently tally the scores after the meet in quick fashion.
Is THAT a computer in Clark's Gym????
This meet quickly divided into two competitive groups. In one group – Joe, myself and Thom battled it out, while in the other group Rudy, Mike, Dean and Al Springs lifted together. This was the main reason we finished so quickly – we divided into two groups and as a result finished in half the time. These four veterans, all of which are over the age of 65, had quite a competition! It is a rarity to see 4 lifters of these guys ages together in a meet with the kind of lifting abilities they have. Beforehand, I had no idea who would win between them. Dean Ross is a MOOSE and has more brute strength than anyone I know his age. Rudy is the most gifted athletic lifter over the age of 75 that I know. Mike knows no limits and will push himself harder than anyone I know his age. He doesn’t give up. (He ALSO competed in Thom’s Highland Games the day before AND did the USAWA Postal Meet). Al is a wily veteran of all-round lifting and has the most experience in these lifts. But in the end Rudy came out on top with his 750 pound Hip Lift. Mike, being the gamer that he is, took a shot at 850 for the win, but it was not to be on this day. I sure hope to see plenty more of these matchups between these guys, because I know how competitive and close it will always be between them.
When we were finishing up the meet, several new lifters in Clark’s Gym showed up to workout. There had to be close to 20 people in the gym at one time! This has to be another record of sorts. It was standing room only. Clark’s Gym was the happening place on this Sunday afternoon. I wish Bill could have been there to see it - it would have made him feel good to see the promising future of his gym and the USAWA. Also, I got to thank Dave and James for loading throughout the day. Their help really kept things on schedule. Afterwards, we took part in the Deanna Meet tradition of enjoying all we could eat at the Golden Corral while sharing stories and lies.
Meet Results:
Deanna Springs Memorial Meet
March 27th, 2011
Clark’s Gym
Columbia, Missouri
Meet Director: Joe Garcia
Officials (3 official system used): Joe Garcia, Al Myers, Thom Van Vleck, Mike Murdock
Loaders: Dave Beversdorf and James Foster
Lifts: Crucifix, Curl – Cheat, Deanna Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, Hip Lift Lifter Age BWT Cruc Curl Dean H&T Hip Total Points
Joe 57 209 60 145 600 1400 1700 3905 4018.08 Garcia
Al Myers 44 253 90 195 800 1300 2000 4385 3630.91
Thom 46 299 70 165 525 675 1400 2835 2205.62 VanVleck
Rudy 75 220 60 95 405 515 750 1825 2102.50 Bletscher
Mike 71 236 70 105 405 515 650 1745 1882.10 Murdock
Dean 68 275 60 95 405 565 750 1875 1830.99 Ross
Al 69 200 40 65 335 375 650 1465 1702.05 Springs
NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. All lifts recorded in pounds. Points are adjusted points for bodyweight correction and age adjustment.
EXTRA LIFTS FOR RECORDS:
Dean Ross – 455# Deanna Lift
Dean Ross – 875# Hip Lift
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
WC Founding Member: Coda Baugher
March 30, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Coda Baugher, circa 1930's, part of the first generation of the JWC
The JWC traces it’s roots back to 1928. This is not to say it’s been a continuously run organization during that time. There have been good times, and bad. There was a time in the mid 60’s where there were over 30 dues paying members and two team state championships in Olympic Weightlifting in Missouri and many State Champs. One thing I can say, is that there has been at least one member of my family continuously training with weights since 1928!
One of those early members was Coda Baugher. He was my Great Uncle and Brother-in-Law to JWC founder Dalton Jackson. Coda passed on in 2007. He pronounced his first name “Cody” (don’t ask my why) and the “Baugher” was pronounced “Bah-Er” or something close to “Bower” (again, don’t ask me why). Coda and Dalton liked to share stories about training. My understanding was they became friends when Coda would chaperon the dates Dalton had with my grandmother. No wonder, my grandfather was 22 and my grandmother was 13 when they started dating….times have changed!
They fixed up some metal poles and filled buckets with cement to make their first weights and lifted things around the farm like anvils and stones. They would lever sledges for grip and basically got creative with anything they could find. They could barely afford a magazine….if they could find one in rural Missouri buy….and often made a lot of early mistakes. One in particular was the grip they most often used. They weren’t sure early on how to grip the bar so they would grip it with an underhand, or curl type, grip! If you look closely at the photo above you can see it. I have no idea how much Coda could lift. Those numbers are lost to time. As a matter of fact, this is the only known photo of him lifting weights! He became a cattle rancher, taking over the farm my Great, Great, Great Grandfather started and it’s still owned by my cousin, his grandson and it’s a Missouri Century Farm. This distinction goes to farms that are owned over 100 years by the same family. My family always specialized in Black Angus cattle. He also was a member of Providence Baptist Church. This was a Church founded by my ancestors and is now the oldest continuously attended Baptist Church in Missouri and when I attended Coda’s funeral there, they credited him with saving the Church in hard times over the years.
Basically, Coda was one of those guys that did his job, paid his bills, went to Church on Sunday, and took care of his family and friends. I wish I would have asked him more about the type of training he did, but I do know he basically trained for the same reasons that Dalton trained for; To keep his body in shape to fulfill his obligations as a man, not to win titles or trophies. It is also because of the groundwork that he laid and Dalton laid that the future generations of the JWC could win titles and trophies and enjoy the luxury of lifting competition in general. For that, I thank him and hope this article gives the man his due!
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags: Coda Baugher, JWC, Thom Van Vleck
Monster Garage Meet
February 22, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Larry Traub
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
1st Annual Traub Monster Garage
Powerlifting and USAWA Record Breaker
Larry Traub, of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics, competed last year in the USAWA Grip Challenge. This
spring Larry will promote his first ever USAWA competition.
I’ve been promising St. X Alumni an annual powerlifting contest and picnic at my home since I retired from coaching a couple years ago. The initial interest wasn’t quite what I thought it would be and my life has been full with kids getting married and grandkids arriving. Well, this year I decided to proceed but to expand the concept to an open contest. I am targeting not only St X alums but anyone involved in the old River City Powerlifting club from when I was in the gym business in the early 80’s. I am also hoping for participation from others who I have met along the way. My best friend and college roommate, Dave Glasgow will be traveling from Kansas to compete. Dave was my first workout partner some 40 years ago and we still seem to get a workout or two together a year. I’m hoping Ray
Ganong the strength coach at U of L who has been a friend and a mentor of mine and also a friend of
St. X Powerlifting might be interested. Tom Chapella a local throws coach who had a huge influence on my son’s success in shot and discus has shown an interest. Tom has a son who is in all likelihood the strongest Down’s syndrome lifter in the world who will be an inspiration to everyone involved.
Basically, I’m looking for lifters that I have some connection with in the lifting world. If you are interested and you have a workout partner or someone you are training, then they are welcome.
I sanctioned this through USAWA (United States All-round Weightlifting Association). I got involved with them through my friend Dave Glasgow and I knew right away that this group created the lifting atmosphere I was looking for. USAWA has over 150 competition lift in all types of age categories and weight classes, but the traditional power lift are not included. The actual power lifting contest will be
“exhibition lifts” as far as their organization is concerned, but afterwards there will be a record breaker where anyone involved can attempt to break some of their records. We will also be using their formula to determine place winners in the power lifting contest. The whole contest is on formula with coefficients for age and bodyweight. I will be giving modest awards for outstanding squat, bench press, and deadlift as well as the top five finishes on total.
Check out the USAWA (usawa.com) website for more information. It is very well organized and there are daily postings. I am planning on competing in their national contest in June.
As the information says, there is no advance registration necessary, but drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know your intentions. If it doesn’t work out for you this year then start training for future years. I intend to make it an annual event on the last Saturday of April.
MEET DETAILS:
1st Annual Traub Monster Garage
Powerlifting and USAWA Record Breaker
Sat April 30th
1485 Oakes Road Georgetown Indiana
8:00 am weigh in – 10:00 start
No advance registration – entry forms completed at weigh in
All lifters must buy a USAWA card at a cost of $25
ENTRY FEE – contestants must bring food for pitch in meal that will follow the competition. Bring meat
for you and your family, date, etc. Lifters weighing 160 and below should bring a salad dish to be shared, lifters 160 – 230 should bring a side dish and of course those above 230 should bring
desserts.
Meet t-shirts will be available.
USAWA rules will be followed. This is a raw contest. (No supportive shirts, suits, or knee wraps)
Drug testing under USAWA guidelines
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events |
Al Springs
April 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Al Springs performed a 335 pound Deanna Lift this past weekend at the Deanna Springs Memorial Meet. This lift was named after his late wife Deanna.
It was a great pleasure seeing Al Springs this past weekend at the Deanna Springs Memorial Meet. Deanna was the late wife of Al’s who this meet is in memory of. She was killed in a car accident in 1995. She was very involved in the USAWA prior to her death and is in the USAWA Hall of Fame. Al hosted the first Deanna Memorial Meet at his home gym in 1996. Since then it has been hosted at Clark’s Gym.
Al has had his number of setbacks through the years. He was involved in a car accident himself that required longterm recuperation. He has had other heart related health issues. So seeing him back in action on the lifting platform was BIG NEWS! Years ago Al had a gym in Platte City that he ran till round 1995. At that time he also hosted several USAWA events at his home in Dearborn, Missouri.
Al is just a “great guy”. But don’t let his quiet demeanor surprise you – because once you get him talking he is full of weightlifting stories. I have had the opportunity to compete with him at several meets though the years and he is always energetic and ready to lift. I know he really enjoyed this past weekend at the Deanna Meet because of the large turnout, and especially the turnout of lifters his age. And on a final note – how can anyone named “Al” be anything but a nice guy?!?
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
MIKE MURDOCK – “HAM AND EGGER”
April 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
MIKE MURDOCK, OF THE LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS, PUT UP SOME BIG LIFTS LAST WEEKEND AT THE DEANNA SPRINGS MEMORIAL.
CHANCES ARE, YOU HAVE SEEN HIM BUT NEVER, REALLY, NOTICED HIM. HE’S NOT FLASHY, HE NEVER MAKES A SCENE. HE CAN USUALLY BE FOUND SITTING QUIETLY IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE; OBSERVING. EVEN IF YOU DON’T NOTICE HIM WHEN HE IS THERE, YOU WILL NOTICE IF HE’S NOT THERE.
MIKE MURDOCK WANDERED (WONDERED?) ONTO A HIGHLAND GAMES FIELD ONE DAY, NOT FULLY KNOWING WHERE IT WOULD LEAD. WHERE IT LED WAS AN INTRODUCTION TO, NOT ONLY THE GAMES, BUT AN ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS THE USAWA. THAT, ULTIMATELY LED TO WHAT HAS NOW BECOME A STAPLE AT THE GAMES AND THE USAWA EVENTS HELD AT AL’S DINO GYM IN HOLLAND, KS., NAMELY, MIKE! HE IS, MOST GENERALLY, ONE OF THE FIRST TO SHOW UP AND ONE OF THE LAST TO EXIT. HE IS NOT AFRAID TO PITCH IN TO HELP AND CAN BE COUNTED ON TO A HAVE FEW GOOD IDEAS ALONG THE WAY.
RUDY BLETSCHER (LEFT) AND MIKE MURDOCK (RIGHT) LIFTED 585 POUNDS IN THE 2-MAN TRAP BAR DEADLIFT AT THE 2010 USAWA TEAM NATIONALS. THIS IS AN AMAZING LIFT FOR TWO LIFTERS OVER THE AGE OF 70!
AS ONE OF THE ‘ELDER STATESMAN’ GRACING THE USAWA IN THIS AREA, MIKE HAS SEEN A LOT IN HIS TIME AND HIS STORY IS WORTHY OF SOME CONSIDERATION. MIKE WAS BORN AND EDUCATED IN NEBRASKA. MOVING TO KANSAS WAS, AS HAS BECOME HIS FASHION, NOT IN THE CONVENTIONAL MEANS. HE TRAVERSED THE 330 MILES ON A ONE SPEED BIKE IN A JOURNEY THAT TOOK HIM 3 DAYS!! A STINT IN THE AIR FORCE FOLLOWED BY A LONGER STRETCH IN THE NAVY GAVE WAY TO HIS USE OF THE GI BILL TO GET A COLLEGE DIPLOMA TO DECORATE HIS WALL. “I TAUGHT FOR A YEAR, BUT, I KNEW I WASN’T ANY GOOD AND I DID’NT WANT TO MESS THE KIDS UP. SO, I GOT OUT”. IN A LOT OF WAYS, THAT STATEMENT SHOWS US WHAT MAKES MIKE, MIKE. HE IS UNSELFISH, THINKS OF OTHERS AND HAS THE WHEREWITHAL TO UNDERSTAND HIS OWN LIMITATIONS. THAT GOES FOR HIS LIFTING, AS WELL. A SELF TAUGHT LIFTER, HE WAS WISE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT SQUATS, PRESSES, AND PULLS WERE WHAT SHOULD MAKE UP THE MEAT OF HIS WORKOUTS. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, HE STARTED ON AN ‘OTASCO’(THIS WAS A REGIONAL HARDWARE CHAIN BACK IN THE DAY), BASIC 110# SET IN THE EARLY SIXTIES. HIS LIFTING, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION IS ‘ON AGAIN, OFF AGAIN’. OVER THE YEARS, HIS TRAINING HAS CHANGED LITTLE AND, THOUGH HE IS SEVENTY ONE YEARS OLD, HE ENJOYS THE WORK INVOLVED AND THE RESULTS IT BRINGS. BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, HE IS “NOT THAT STRONG” (THIS STATEMENT, I LEAVE OPEN FOR DEBATE). HE IS WHAT I THINK WOULD BE KNOWN IN THE VERNACULAR AS A ‘HAM AND EGGER’. THIS IS THAT CLASS OF GUY/GAL THAT LIFTS BECAUSE HE ENJOYS IT, KNOWS HE WILL NEVER WIN ANYTHING, WORKS HARD ANYWAY AND HAS A HELL OF A GOOD TIME WHENEVER HE IS IN THE COMPANY OF LIKE MINDED FOLKS. THIS IS THE CLASS OF LIFTER THAT I, ALSO, PROUDLY, NUMBER MYSELF AMONG! ASKED THE LIFTS HE WAS MOST PROUD OF (HE IS THE OWNER OF A NUMBER OF USAWA RECORDS), HE QUICKLY REPLIED THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ALL THE TWO MAN RECORDS HE HAS MADE WITH HIS FRIEND AND FELLOW SEPTUAGENARIAN, RUDY BLETSCHER. THEN HE SAID, WITH AN IMPISH GRIN ON HIS FACE, “THE CRUCIFIX LIFT OF 80 LBS. THAT ONE MAY STAY AROUND FOR A WHILE!”
ONE FINAL THING. THIS WAS NOT TO BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. HOWEVER, I DON’T THINK I WILL GET IN TOO MUCH DUTCH IF I LET IT OUT. AT AL’S GRIP NATIONALS THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A SILENT AUCTION, WITH PROCEEDS TO GO TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN SALINA. MIKE GAVE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CASH TO THE ORGANIZATION, AFTER BIDDING ON, WELL, NOTHING! HE JUST, SIMPLY, DID IT!! THIS IS WHY I LIKE CALLING HIM FRIEND! LOOK MIKE UP AT THE NEXT GET TOGETHER AND, IF YOU AREN’T ALREADY A FRIEND, MAKE HIS ACQUAINTANCE. YOU WILL BE BETTER OFF FOR IT. HE’S NOT THAT HARD TO FIND. HE’S THE GUY SITTING IN THE BACKGROUND. QUIETLY LISTENING, WATCHING, LEARNING……..
Categories: USAWA Daily News
USAWA Nationals Update
April 4, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Dukum Inn: Kirksville Legend and Location of the USAWA Nationals Banquet
Just a couple blocks away from the armory is the Dukum Inn. This is a legendary establishment here in Kirksville. Back a hundred years ago this was a huge coal mining area. Coal mining was tough work and the miners would drink hard on the weekends. When I was a kid, the Dukum was tough, blue collar bar. I recall going there with my Dad from time to time when I was a boy. He would buy me a Cherry Coke (when a the Coke was poured into a Coke Glass and cherry syrup was then added) so I wouldn’t tell Mom we stopped there. He would play some pool with his pals and he’d give me some quarters for the pinball or I’d play shuffleboard in the sawdust. After a couple games of pool we’d head home with Mom none the wiser!
Well, today the Dukum is pretty much an “every man’s bar” (and every woman). It’s a lot more upscale than the old days but still has that old days charm of a corner pub. They have a private upstairs room that now has the original bar that was there when I was a kid and the original tables. It can seat over a hundred and has a stage that will work nicely for our awards ceremony. Plenty of room to gather after the meet, enjoy our meal, have our national meeting and have a good time!
So, get those entries in the mail!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Goddard Postal
April 5, 2011 | Authored by Steve Gardner | Edit by Steve Gardner
MEET RESULTS:
The Andy Goddard Tribute Lifts Postal 2011
Chuck Cookson, of the Dino Gym, had the top Jefferson Lift (Straddle Deadlift) of the Goddard Postal Meet with a lift of 622 pounds.
32 lifters took part in the Andy Goddard tribute postal competition, and what a good competition it turned out to be, thanks to all the lifters from the USA and the UK who supported the event. Below is a list of best lifter results. The two lifts contested were the Alternate Grip Bench Press and the Straddle Deadlift.
Alternate Grip Bench Press – Top Ten Lifters
1. Mark Price – Powerhouse Gym, England
2. Al Myers – Dino Gym, United States
3. Mark Haydock – Hoghton Barbell Club, England
4. Joe Ciavattone Sr. – Joe’s Gym, United States
5. Scott Tully – Dino Gym, United States
6. Joe Ciavattone Jr. – Joe’s Gym, United States
7. Gary Ell – Tiverton WL Club, England
8. Chuck Cookson – Dino Gym, United States
9. Chad Ullom – Dino Gym, United States
10. Steve Gardner – Powerhouse Gym, England
Straddle Deadlift – Top Ten Lifters
1. Al Myers – Dino Gym, United States
2. Chuck Cookson – Dino Gym, United States
3. Joe Ciavattone Jr. – Joe’s Gym, United States
4. Kai Holland – Tiverton WL Club, England
5. Mark Haydock – Hoghton Barbell Club, England
6. Mark Rattenbury – Tiverton WL Club, England
7. Graham Saxton – Powerhouse Gym, England
8. James Gardner – Powerhouse Gym, England
9. Jonny Eccleshall - Powerhouse Gym, England
10. Chad Ullom – Dino Gym, United States
Total – Top Ten Lifters
1. Al Myers – Dino Gym, United States
2. Chuck Cookson – Dino Gym, United States
3. Mark Price – Powerhouse Gym, England
4. Mark Haydock – Hoghton Barbell Club, England
5. Joe Ciavattone Jr. – Joe’s Gym, United States
6. Chad Ullom – Dino Gym, United States
7. Mark Rattenbury – Tiverton WL Club, England
8. Graham Saxton – Powerhouse Gym, England
9. Gary Ell – Tiverton WL Club, England
10. Joe Ciavattone Sr. – Joe’s Gym, United States
Best Club Result (Top 3 Performers)
1. Dino Gym: Myers, Cookson, Ullom – 963.3 pts
2. Powerhouse Gym: Price, Saxton, Gardner – 876.4 pts
3. Joe’s Gym: Ciavattones, Joe Sr., Joe Jr., Jonathon – 837.8 pts
4. Tiverton: Rattenbury, Ell, Holland – 826.1 pts
5. Granby Grippers: Allen, Andrews, Godleman – 797.7 pts
Best Junior Performance – Joe Ciavattone Jr.
Best Female Performance – Karen Gardner
Best Open Performance – Mark Haydock
Best Master Performance – Al Myers Best Overall Lifter – Al Myers
For the complete results - ANDY GOD2011
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News | Tags: 2011 Meet Results
Introducing Larry Traub
April 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
(WEBMASTER’S NOTE: Larry Traub will be hosting his first USAWA competition on April 30th in his hometown of Georgetown, Indiana . This competition will introduce the USAWA to several new lifters. The following story is an introduction to Larry and his past involvement in powerlifting and weightlifting. Larry is a great addition to the USAWA!) by Larry Traub
Larry Traub (on left), of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics, receiving his award from the 2010 Dino Gym Grip Challenge Meet Director Ben Edwards (on right).
The ReMoND Machine – Release Movement Neuromuscular Developer My name is Larry Traub. I am 57 years old. I have just completed 24 years of teaching at St. Xavier High School in Louisville Kentucky and 28 years of teaching all together. I am a math teacher (Primarily Geometry) but I have also taught an elective P.E. class called Strength and Fitness during most of my tenure at St. Xavier. I have been involved in the weightroom almost all of my years at St. X and have served in various roles including, strength coach, powerlifting coach, and weight room coordinator. I retired as the powerlifting coach in 2007 after winning 5 successive National Championships at the USAPL (drug tested) teenage championships.
I was also a gym owner in the early 80’s and built most all my own equipment. I did a little competitive bodybuilding. My last contest was in1982 in which I won the Mr. Kentucky title. I have been an active powerlifter since the mid 70’s and have won 9 master’s National Titles in the USAPL and a gold and a silver in the IPF world championships. I have held American Records in the squat (635 @ 198 in the 40-44 group, deadlift (700 @ 198 in the 40-44 group) and 1630 total in the 50 plus age group which was also a world record total @ 198.
I have a son and daughter who both earned college athletic scholarships. My daughter in basketball and my son in track. They both were national teenage powerlifting champions and American record holders. My daughter did a 400 lb deadlift @ 165 as a teenager and my son was a world champion and a world record holder in the subjunior division (He did a 690 deadlift as an 18 year old in the 242 lb class). He presently holds the school record for shotput at Indiana State University.
I tell you this, not to blow my own horn (well maybe a little bit), but to give you an idea of the depth of my involvement in weightlifting and sports over the course of four decades and hopefully give myself enough credibility to allow you to carefully consider my invention.
I have always been fascinated with the correlation between strength and athletic ability. In my 35+ years of involvement in weightlifting I have seen a tremendous shift in attitudes regarding the benefits of lifting for almost every athlete. My personal experience with an increase in jumping ability shortly after I first started squatting convinced me of the athletic benefits of lifting. After a year or so of high intensity squatting for powerlifting I was delighted to find I could grab the rim on a basketball court. A year or so later after my max squat had improved considerably I was expecting a corresponding increase in jumping ability but discovered no significant difference. I later discovered that the reason for my plateau in vertical jump was my brains inability to send a strong enough signal to fully utilize the fast twitch muscles I had developed. My limitations were not muscular they were neuromuscular.
Over the years I have read about and tried all sorts of programs that were supposed to increase the bodies neuromuscular capabilities. I set up extensive plyometric programs but saw no real effect other than joint pain due to the stress that the exercises put on the body.
I used light weights with maximum speed, but received no noticeable benefit. I discovered that the use of high speed reps with lighter weights had huge limitations because your body knows that at the end of the motion it must stop or the weight will leave your body and come back and cause injury. The use of bands and chains was supposed to be the solution of slowing the movement at the top, but if that were to work effectively then the resulting slowing of the motion would be counterproductive to the goal of developing maximum speed. I have seen athletes perform jump squats with a barbell and I thought immediately that the fear of the bar coming down on them and causing pain would prohibit them from putting maximum effort into the exercise which in turn would minimize the results. My son, while in college, was instructed to jump with sand bags on his shoulders. This seemed a lot more reasonable but there was still no way to see a measurable progression. (Was he jumping higher than he did last week?) There was also the considerable stress on the body of landing with the combined weight of his bodyweight and the sandbags.
The latest trend I see is the use of the Olympic lifts and various exotic versions of them as being the “do all, end all” for athletes in the weightroom. They do require explosive movement but the actual number of muscles that are involved in the explosive part of the lift are very limited and once again there is a great deal of stress put on the joints of the body. I also feel that way too often the athletes are doing the Olympic lifts whose primary benefits are neuromuscular and ignoring the continued development of fast twitch muscle throughout all the major muscle groups.
Ideally, athletes should continue to develop fast twitch muscle fiber through conventional means but have a way to improve their neuromuscular efficiency so they can fully utilize those muscle fibers, and do it all with minimum stress on the joints of the body. The solution, as I see it, is a release movement machine that allows you to accelerate a bar using various exercises that stimulate all major muscle groups. You must be able to release the bar without fear of injury so the bar must stay at the peak of movement and be safely lowered to the athlete for the next repetition. The exercise must also be measurable. (A certain amount of weight is moved through a certain range of motion and progress occurs when you either move the same weight through a greater range of motion or move more weight through the same range of motion.)
This is what my machine is designed to do and I would appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate.
Sincerely,
Larry Traub
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The things I hate about the sport I love – Part 1
April 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Larry Traub
Part one – Artificial Strength
Larry Traub performing a squat in a powerlifting competition.
Without a doubt, the thing that troubles me the most about the direction our sport has taken is the amazing lifts that are being posted that are not representative of the athlete’s natural ability or hard work. There are two separate issues here that result in what I would call artificial strength. The first one is the use of strength inducing drugs and the second is the use of equipment that spring loads the body.
The pharmaceutical end of this has been around for a long time and that’s a tough nut to crack. My association with The USAPL/IPF leads me to believe that they are being as diligent as possible in keeping drugs out of their organization. As a lifetime drug free lifter I fully appreciate the fact that they are creating a situation where I can minimize the possibility of having to compete against someone who is using drugs to enhance their lifting. There is always the old argument that since drug testing is imperfect that the only fair way to run a contest is to have no drug testing. There may be some truth to this, but if I choose not to use drugs, I would rather lift in an organization which encourages drug free lifting and discourages and penalizes the use of performance enhancing drugs. Ideally, I feel that there should be two organizations. There should be one that has no drug testing and one that employs the best testing methods available. The need for the other 10- 15 organizations that we have is very questionable but that is a subject for another article.
The other aspect of artificial strength that has infected our sport is the use of suits, shirts and wraps to produce results that are not at all representative of the strength of the individual. In contrast to the drug problem this is not a tough nut to crack. Here’s my solution to the problem.
“This is ridiculous. Let’s not do it.”
In 1979 my wife and I drove to Dayton, Ohio to see the World Powerlifting Championships. I was a veteran of exactly one powerlifting contest, but I knew I was going to pursue the sport and I wanted to see the best lifters in the world at this point in time. And I did. Inaba, Gant, Bridges, Thomas, Anello, Pacifico, Kuc, Wrenn. All of these men are legends in my mind, but my most profound memory of the meet is the bench pressing of Bill Kazmaier. Kaz was the largest muscular and athletic looking individual that I had ever seen in my life. He was already the world record holder in the bench, but he bumped his 615 lb world record up into the 660 lb range. Kaz became a multiple world powerlifting champion and went on to win the World’s strongest man title three times.
The current world record, according to my research, is 1050 lbs posted by Ryan Kenelly. Kenelly out benched Kaz by almost 400 lbs. It turns out that the world record of Bill Kazmaier was really pretty unimpressive. Actually, most everyone associated with powerlifting already knows that we are comparing apples and oranges. Kaz didn’t know it at the time but he was performing a raw bench as opposed to an assisted bench. Is the difference significant? Apparently so.
I confess to having spent a lot of my money on this equipment and spending a lot of time and effort squeezing myself and others into this equipment. I plead guilty to telling people about my double body weight bench press when I was 49 years old without explaining that about 10-15% of that was accomplished by spring loading my body with a shirt that took 3 people to get on. And in retrospect I would have to say it was all ridiculous. I rationalize it by saying that everyone else was doing it so I had to do it in order to be competitive, and of course a little voice is asking me: “if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you jump too?” Since the last time I used one of these shirts (8 years ago) the technology has advanced to where people are claiming 25-30% gains out of the single plys and God knows how much out of the multi layer, off the shoulder, open back shirts that are legal in other organizations. In a PL USA interview of a prominent bench presser the lifter had recorded competition lifts of 600 lbs raw and 835 shirted. This works out to a 39% increase in his performance due to the mechanical advantage of wearing the shirt. I couldn’t find the article but I recall a 1000 lb plus bencher saying that his raw bench was around 700 lbs. This would make his increase in the 43% range. The use of suits and wraps to enhance the squat and deadlift may not be as dramatic but the concept is just as absurd. The real question is; does the first lifter claim to have a 600 lb bench or an 835 lb bench? I don’t like to brag but, I’m old enough to get the senior citizen’s discount at Shoney’s, and I was still able to lift up the entire side of my minivan the other day. Oh, did I mention I used a hydraulic jack?
History tells us that anything associated with technology will continue to improve and as this happens the lifts associated with this equipment will become less and less representative of the actual strength of the lifter. So we can absolutely expect the ridiculous situation described to get worse. Besides the basic dishonesty involved with this situation, I think there is a serious safety issue to consider. It is widely known that steroid users are much more prone to injury than natural lifters. With drug free training, muscles get stronger and there is a corresponding strengthening of tendons, ligaments and tendons. I recently had minor shoulder surgery to clean up an arthritic condition that had developed. The surgeon was using the dermis from a cadaver to form artificial cartilage in the joint. His plan was to attach the dermis with screws by drilling into the bone and using expanding anchors similar to what you would use when attaching something to drywall. He told my wife the surgery would last about an hour but it went beyond two hours which prompted my wife to call the life insurance company to see how much she could cash in on, if I didn’t make it. The problem turned out not to be life threatening, but in order for the anchors to expand he had to drill through the hard part of the bone and into softer bone tissue. It took him forever to get through the hard part of the bone because my body had adapted from years of lifting and had made this hardened layer much thicker than normal. This is part of the natural adaptive process that the body has that allows it to withstand the stress that you are going to put on it when you utilize your additional strength.
When using anabolic drugs the muscles adapt quickly but the tendons, ligaments and bones lag behind and the risk of injury to the connective tissues increases dramatically. With a bench shirt, in a matter of minutes, your “strength” may be increased by 40%. The bench shirt may provide some protection for the supportive tissue around the pecs, delts and triceps, but the elbows and wrists are not provided that protection and the chance of injury seems to be multiplied.
Recently a college football player was seriously hurt when he dropped approximately 300 lbs on his neck while benching. I strongly suspect that some very bad form and some inadequate spotting was involved but what if you added 40% more weight to the bar, and then added the difficulty of controlling the bar while adapting to a shirt. The whole scenario is a disaster waiting to happen.
My work as a powerlifting coach for high school athletes At St Xavier High School in Louisville Kentucky has given me a unique perspective on the situation. I was fortunate enough to have a tremendous facility, the support of the school, and a large pool of athletes with a tremendous work ethic. These factors and what I hope was adequate coaching helped us win 5 successive USAPL National Teenage Championships from 2003 -2007. Several years we had close to 100 athletes involved in a program that cumulated with a raw meet in early May. From there we attempted to determine who was capable of meeting the qualifying totals for Teen Nationals and who had the desire to go. At the national meet most everyone would be using the latest supportive equipment, so in order to be competitive we felt we had to do the same. With our new group of athletes we started the process of getting them adjusted to equipment in a short period of time so that they would be ready for a qualifying meet in a matter of several weeks. As a coach this was the time that I considered sheer hell. There were bloody knuckles from pulling on the shirts. First time lifters would swear that they would never get in there equipment and when they did, they found the pain prevented them from getting the bar to their chest or getting parallel in the squat, but we kept working and eventually we would made it work.
The whole process was not fun but the next part was even worse. Eventually the kids started thinking that this equipment was the coolest thing ever. We had spent months emphasizing the importance of completing a workout designed to make them stronger and more athletic. Now a great deal of time was spent getting in and out of equipment and much of the workout was ignored. It didn’t bother the kids much because, in their eyes, the “benefit” they were getting from the equipment far outweighed the actual strength training they were involved in before. It was also not surprising that this is where coaches from other sports began to question the benefits of powerlifting for their athletes.
I had been selling my program as a way of motivating athletes to lift with intensity and good form and promised that they would benefit greatly as athletes. I feel very strongly that in general I delivered on my promise, but I do feel that the athletic benefits of the program were compromised in the 5-6 week period that we were in equipment.
Dealing with parents became a challenge also. I told them not to show their mother’s the marks that the equipment left on their bodies because I was afraid that they would forbid their sons from participating. The kids would create their own stories when explaining the benefits of the equipment to their families or friends. One boy told his mother that when we started going heavy in the squat that the knee wraps kept his knees from exploding.
I feel powerlifting has the potential to appeal not only to those who want to test the limits of strength, but also those who want to become more athletic and build a better physique. High intensity exercise in the low to mid rep range is the most efficient way to build type IIB fast twitch muscle fibers and these fibers have the greatest potential for growth.
If my first experience with powerlifting involved seeing men and women who could barely walk because of the knee wraps, or torsos that were disfigured because of the shirts that their three buddies stuffed them into, then I would have a hard time making the connection between powerlifting and its ability to produce muscular and athletic individuals.
As intelligent individuals capable of making good decisions I would encourage you to ignore the babblings of those who tell us that this equipment is here to stay so we might as well get used to it. Let common sense overrule our egos. I returned to competition last year after a 5 year sabbatical when I entered the USAPL Raw Nationals. I didn’t have the opportunity to compete against the best lifters of my age as I did in the USAPL Master’s Nationals and the IPF Master’s Worlds. I missed that aspect of the competition, but I’m hoping that time and common sense will lead to a change in our system that will bring the greatest lifters on board with true unassisted powerlifting at the national and world championship level. In the raw meet I posted some numbers that weren’t overly impressive for a number of reasons but I absolutely found the experience much more enjoyable than previous meets and I can also tell someone what I lifted without adding a lengthy explanation about supportive equipment or feeling guilty about being dishonest to them or to myself.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
The things I hate about the sport I love – part 2
April 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Larry Traub
Part two – I’m OK, You’re OK, We’re all champions
Larry Traub performing a deadlift in a powerlifting competition.
At the time I started my teaching career in 1976, a book that had been on the best seller list a few years earlier seemed to be having a huge impact on our interaction with the students we taught. The book was called “I’m OK, You’re Ok.” Let me give you my perception of how things started to changed in the 70’s due to the concepts expressed in this book. The basic concept, as I see it, is that our students should constantly be praised for what they do. The effort involved, or the excellence of the accomplishment should not be a factor in whom we seek to reward. If everyone is praised and rewarded for everything they do then they will develop high self-esteem which is the key to them becoming wonderful, fully functional adults. This may be an exaggeration of the concepts expressed in this book but I feel that there is quite a bit of truth in my analysis.
The big example that clearly shows that this trend has survived and is thriving is in youth sports. My niece and nephew are in soccer leagues where no teams are recognized as being better than the other, but every kid who shows up for the last game is awarded a trophy for this amazing accomplishment. Hollywood has definitely taken notice of this development in kid’s sports. For all you “Every One Loves Raymond” fans there are several episodes that poke fun at this trend, but one of my favorite lines occurs when the basketball coach of Raymond’s two young twin boys helps Raymond understand this concept. He explains to Raymond that, “A ball that misses the basket is just as valid as one that goes through the basket.”
I think I can concede the need for sports at a very young age to be more recreational than competitive, but I have to question whether it is wrong to start teaching and rewarding excellence at an early age. And the bigger question in my mind is: At what point should you really have to achieve excellence before you are recognized as a champion?
This trend of making sure that everyone feels like a champion goes well beyond youth sports and I suspect that the motivation has more to do with money than self esteem. I did some research to make my point relevant to the sport of powerlifting. I started looking through issues of Powerlifting USA and I discovered that for the year 2007 I could find 11 of the 12 issues. So the following research is based on carefully combing through every 2007 issue of Powerlifting USA except February. I found that the following totals were good enough to make someone a “National Champion” in 2007. These all came from the open men’s competition, not the master’s or teenage. This was compiled from whatever organization that claimed to have a “National Championship”. These totals are all in pounds and they are all totals from a combined squat, bench and deadlift where the competitor had successfully completed at least one attempt in all three lifts. (No bomb outs.) Some of the meets were raw and some of them were drug tested, but I didn’t bother to distinguish between the different rules governing the meet.
Here are your 2007 National Championship Totals. The names have been withheld to protect the unworthy.
Weight Class Total Weight Class Total
123 688 220 959
132 881 242 1229
148 986 275 1550
165 1046 308 1197
181 804 Hwt 1758 198 837
I found a national championship where only 2 weight classes had entries in the open division, which meant that anyone who showed up for this one could have won a national championship unopposed, provided they weren’t in the 181 or 220 lb division. I also found a National championship (and this is my favorite) where there were so many different divisions that 70 different national championship awards were given out. (Many lifters were multiple national champions.) In this same meet 5 people received second place awards. No thirds. No fourths. There were only 5 people on the whole meet who got beat by somebody. I am, of course, concerned about the deflated self esteem of these 5 individuals, and suspect they will require therapy to get over the humiliation of being a national runner-up.
Part of the reason that I have chosen the USAPowerlifting (USAPL) as my venue for competition is that they seem to attract the best competitors. (At least among those who would submit to drug testing.) I believe a big reason for this is their affiliation with the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) which gives lifters an opportunity to compete in true international competition. I really think that the IPF is doing the best job of holding the line on creating meaningful championships. Their championships include subjuniors, juniors, open, 40-49, 50- 59, and 60+. Compare this to the usual laundry list of, youth, 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, juniors, collegiate, open, military, sub masters, masters, 40-44, 45-49, with continued 5 year increments through infinity. I understand every organization wants to succeed, and giving people what they want is paramount to the success of that organization, but surely we can see that this is killing the legitimacy of our sport.
Do I have the solution to the problem? I think I have some ideas that could minimize this trend that, in my mind, is killing our sport. As mentioned in a previous article I recently competed in the USAPL raw Nationals. I found the experience enjoyable but there were many unopposed national champions which is not typical of the USAPL. I hated to see the all the meaningless national championships in a contest that was overall very competitive. I understand that it is all part of the growing pains of starting something new, but I think there are creative alternatives that would allow you to recognize outstanding individuals in other divisions (masters, teenage, etc) without creating meaningless awards. The raw nationals had no qualifying total which means that it could attract lifters from 14 yrs old to 100. This is my recommendation for USAPL Raw Nationals. First, let everyone enter in their appropriate weight class and compete against whoever is there, no matter if they are open, teens, masters, etc. I think that a 17 year old who can finish in the top 6 or 7 of this type of contest would have more pride in his accomplishment that being an unopposed national champion. Second, Have an All American team consisting of the top ten lifters on formula including the use of age coefficients. The 17 year old, who finished 6th in his weight class could conceivably, using this formula, become one of the top 5 lifters in the whole contest and his All American status would be an appropriate recognition of his accomplishments.
This format would also make this contest more conducive to a true team championship. With this scenario, a gym or club would make an effort to get the best person they could into every weight class regardless of the age of the individual, and there would be far less choosing of team members simply because there is little or no competition.
This would be my recommendation for the raw nationals, but the same or a similar format would be applicable to a lot of other competitions. There could even be a female coefficient that could allow you to group males and females together for outstanding lifter awards or all state/American awards.
If athletes really want meaningless championships then I suppose there will always be promoters that will provide them, especially if there is a buck to be made doing so. I’m not so sure that this is always the case. I think that a lot of lifters and promoters are seeing problems with the sport of powerlifting and are starting their own organizations so they can create their own solutions to this problem. In my opinion, time would be better spent trying to bring reform to the organizations we have. For instance instead of starting a raw powerlifing organization, help the USAPL develop their raw nationals into a true championship for all lifters who want to lift unequipped and without performance enhancing drugs. This could lead to a true raw world championship, and who knows, with less fragmentation of the sport, maybe we could be taken seriously enough to someday become an Olympic sport.
One of the most enjoyable contests that I can remember competing in was at a local prison some 25 years ago. There were 15-20 lifters involved and for most of them it was a home meet, if you get my drift. The competition really wasn’t that good but there was another local lifter who, like myself, got to leave when it was over, and was considered to be quite good. He was a 148 lber and I was at 220 and the whole contest was based on formula which made it quite interesting. I did come out on top, which may be why I recall it fondly, but either way the use of the formula as opposed to weight classes made it a real competition. I would hope that we, as powerlifters, are seeking out real competition and not just looking to gain some meaningless status.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Watch Your Back!
April 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Jarrod Fobes
Amber Glasgow, of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club, performs a Turkish Get Up with 35 pounds. The Turkish Get Up is a great exercise to strengthen muscle imbalances in the back. Injuries have shaped a lot of my training, and there is nothing that will get you thinking more about how you train than an injured back. Bum knee? Work your upper body for a while. Injured shoulder? Train around it. Hurt your back? You won’t be in the gym for at least a few weeks. After my last back injury I got busy researching back health and learning what I could do to prevent any future relapses. From what I’ve learned, spinal “prehab” can be distilled down to two major factors. Here’s what they are and what you can do about them.
Muscle Imbalances
Muscle imbalance refers to any break in the symmetry of the muscular system. You don’t want your right side stronger than your left, or your front stronger than your back. Most of you have heard that to protect your back, you should strengthen your abdominals. Strong abdominals are important to provide a counter to the powerful muscles of the lower back, but they are only part of the equation. Is your left hip flexor stronger than the right? Then your hip may be pulled down on the left side, and your back will struggle to compensate for it. Are your hamstrings disproportionately stronger than your quads? That may have an effect on the stability of your knee. If your knee goes out, your hips may start compensating for your injured knee. From there the chain of compensation can easily reach your back.
Fortunately there are two exercises that are terrific for correcting major muscle imbalances. One is the Turkish Get-up, already and official USAWA lift. The other is the One Legged, One Armed Deadlift.
If you are balancing on your right leg, you will grab the weight with your left hand. Put a slight bend in the knee of your support leg. As you lean forward to grasp the weight, your non-support leg should rise up, keeping in as straight a line as possible with your back. Maintain that alignment as you stand up with the weight. As with any deadlift, don’t let your head droop forward.
Both lifts should be trained heavy, but not to failure. Within a month or two diligently giving each side of your body equal work with these lifts, you should have corrected the major imbalances in your body. But stay on guard against overworking one side or the other in day-to-day life too: if you ride a bike, don’t always push off with your dominate leg. If you carry a kid around, make sure you use both sides of your body for roughly equal time. You get the idea. Muscle Endurance
Muscle endurance is the ability of a muscle to work for a prolonged period of time. It is related to, but separate from muscle strength, which most of us focus on in the gym. Many of us have strong backs, but inexplicably still have back problems. That’s because while we may be able to lift enormous loads with our backs, we haven’t conditioned them to handling sustained, symmetrical loads. Just as being able to do 100 push-ups may not translate into a huge bench press, heavy deadlifts do little to condition our backs to prolonged work. That is why kettlebell swings are so important.
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. You should have about a 90- degree bend in your knees, as well as at your waist. Do not let your back round, and keep your head up. The kettlebell (or whatever implement you decide to you use) will be in both hands tucked under your behind. Your wrists should rest on your inner thighs.
From this position, explode forward with your hips, extending the legs and back. The weight should stop at 12-o’clock, directly over head with your arms straight. A common mistake is to initiate the movement with the arms. The explosive hip extension should provide the momentum to get the weight moving. Guide the weight back down to the starting position, and repeat.
Since we’re focusing on muscle endurance, execute a high number of reps, at least 75. Focus on maintaining a high rep speed, too. This will mean starting with a lighter weight than most of us like to be seen with in the gym, but do it anyway. If 75 is too daunting, start with 3×25, and “steal” reps from the last set and give them to the first in following workouts. So following rep schemes might look like 35×25x15, 50×25, etc until you reach 75 reps. Once you can handle 75 you have the option of increasing weight or increasing reps. Besides muscle endurance, my posture has improved greatly since adding kettlebell swings to my routine. I recommend them to anyone whose shoulders roll forward. Another benefit of this exercise is the tremendous cardiovascular work it provides. If done with speed, explosiveness, and adequate weight, your heart will really be pumping by the end!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Bernarr MacFadden
April 13, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Bernarr MacFadden, "Father of Physical Culture" by Thom Van Vleck
If you know who Bernarr MacFadden is then you truly are a student of Iron History. MacFadden was born in 1868 and died in 1955. He became internationally famous and a millionaire (when a million meant something!) promoting Physical Culture. I have heard that Bob Hoffman was called “The Father of American Weightlifting”, but before Bob, Bernarr was the “Father of Physical Culture”. MacFadden not only promoted exercise, he promoted all around physical fitness, all natural foods (he disliked processed foods) , natural treatment of disease (he hated “pill pusher Doctors”), and inspired people to live healthy lives. Vim, Vigor, and Virility are terms you often heard him say. He directly influence many greats that you will know like Charles Atlas.
He was also at times branded a charlatan and was arrested on obscenity charges (his books were often very frank in there subject matter, but he was NOT arrested for what we would call pornography today). He often rubbed the medical establishment the wrong way, at least the M.D.’s but not the D.O.’s…..I’ll explain more later. He made his millions promoting his books and developed properties that had schools, resorts, and all things that in some way related to physical culture and health. His empire rose and fell and rose and fell. Personally, I think had he died or retired at a younger age his legacy would likely be more secure in the weightlifting world. But some of his later dealings, eccentric tendencies, a damaging book by and ex-wife perhaps unfairly tarnished his early work and unfortunately what you do last is often remembered most.
McFadden’s long and colorful life could fill many volumes and I would encourage anyone interested in Iron History to ready up on him. There is a website dedicated to his life at www.bernarrmacfadden.com.
My connection to MacFadden is as a boy my grandfather, who was born in 1913 and grew up when McFadden was truly at his peak, often quoted and spoke of McFadden and taught me many of his valuable principles and in that way had a major influence on the JWC. I learned later he also filtered out many of McFadden’s teachings that were probably built on faulty logic and social norms of the day….but you wonder how people will someday look back on us! I also work at A.T. Still University, founded in 1892 by Andrew Taylor Still and the founding school of Osteopathic Medicine. A Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) has the same medical training and credentialing of a Medical Doctor (M.D.) PLUS they have to learn Still’s Osteopathic teachings. Again, volumes could be written on Osteopathy but I will just point out that Still believed in natural cures, healthy living, was against “pill pushing” as a doctor, thought exercise was essential to health (back when many M.D’s thought exercise was actually bad for you!!!!) and finally was a pioneer in whole person health. Dr. Still was probably the kind of doctor Bernarr MacFadden would have liked! I’m researching that right now!
At any rate, our library has a huge collection of rare books. They often surplus out extra copies and sell them. When they go unsold, they are given away. I was checking through a bin of “free” books and when I came across a first edition copy of Bernarr MacFadden’s “Manhood and Marriage” published in 1916. It had an old style library card in the back and the last time it was checked out was 1963! Previous to that, 1957! Kind of hard to believe this book has been on a shelf here my whole life (I was born in 1964) and now I have it. It is not surprising to me this book was here as the type of people attracted to being a D.O. are the types that believe in whole person health, exercise, healthy living and natural cures. Don’t get me wrong, they prescribe medication, do surgery and EVERYTHING an M.D. would do but if you see a D.O. you can expect a lecture on healthy living along with your antibiotics!
I am enjoying reading the book. It is really outdated in many ways, but there is no doubt MacFadden really believed in the healthy lifestyle even if the basis of many of his tenants of healthy living have since been proven otherwise by research. At least he set a standard which others could then prove right or wrong and if I had to guess, he was more “right”! Check his story out some time….he’s a real character of the Iron Game!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Dr. Russell Wright
April 14, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Dr. Russell Wright, D.O. & Pioneer in Sports Medicine by Thom Van Vleck
You may not know who Dr. Russell Wright (D.O. Doctor of Osteopathy) is, but Tommy Kono, Bob Bednarski, Tommy Suggs, Gary Glenney, Norbert Schmansky and many others probably owe him half the hardware in their trophy cases. Dr. Wright made his living as the team Physician for the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Pistons. But he is best known to weightlifters as the team physician for five USA Olympic Weightlifting teams and countless World Championship teams. He did much of this by traveling to these events on his own dime and providing a lot of the treatment for free. The lifters he treated often commented that he would tell them he’d “send them a bill” and the bill would never come. Dr. Wright did back surgery on Schmansky and solved Kono’s knee problems to allow them to further their great careers. He employed Osteopathic manipulation in his work with many other lifters and was there when Bednarski dislocated his elbow so badly at an international meet in Canada. It was typical to put the dislocated joint in a cast and allow to heal, but Dr. Wright took the cast off once back home and worked with the injury with light exercise, massage, and Osteopathic manipulation. This could have ended his career, but Bednarski won a World Championships after that! Wright was an athlete himself having competed in football and basketball in college and a short pro career after that and he felt that gave him insight into athletic injuries and needs. He was also known to be able to motivate the athlete in his recuperation and had a deep understanding of sports psychology helping athletes who were devastated by their injuries forge successful comebacks.
Dr. Wright is credited with pioneering the “medical manager” concept. It seems logical now, but until Dr. Wright came up with it, it was not practiced. Simply put, someone trained in sports medicine would assist the coach in all medical decisions as a direct consultant. Osteopaths like Dr. Wright were pioneers in sports medicine. He was following in the footsteps of Dr. Wilbur Bohm who was the first sports medicine specialist and he graduated from the school I work at, A.T. Still University which is the founding school of Osteopathic medicine. Dr. Bohm was the team physician at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics for the U.S.A. track team and assisted Jesse Owens in his historic run of 4 Gold Medals and the FIRST ever full time professional sports team doctor! Dr. Wright was part of that heritage of sports medicine and his role in the 1956, ‘60, ‘64, ‘68, and ‘72 Olympics would continue that tradition.
Russell Wright was the president of the Medical Committee of the International Federation of Weightlifting and Culture and conducted many seminars on treating weightlifting injuries. In 1966 he conducted a seminar in East Berlin, East Germany for Doctors from 92 nations. He was a member of Sports Medicine (an organization that Dr. Bohm was a founding member) and was a delegate to the 16th World Congress of Sports. He made most of these trips on his own. His wife always accompanied him and they were considered real friends and ambassadors of Weightlifting. He made dozens of these types of trips over the years. Dr. Wright often joked that he kept “retiring” over and over again. Dr. Wright graduated from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University in 1929 and practice medicine for 7 decades as he lived well into his 90’s. The Des Moines School was the second Osteopathic school ever and was founded in 1903, now there are over two dozen D.O. schools across the U.S. and they represent an ever increasing percentage of Doctors in the U.S. They have all the same rights and privileges of an M.D. plus they have to know Dr. Still’s Osteopathic principles as well. Dr. Wright represented the type of “forward thinking” that has made D.O’s so popular. It is estimated in the near future D.O’s will represent 1 in 5 Doctors and they are a large part of the sports medicine world due to Doc’s like Dr. Wright and Dr. Bohm.
Dr. Russell Wright was a true friend of weightlifting as a sport, but was a better friend to the lifters. He also wrote books including “How to Become and Olympic Champion” where he tried to integrate not only exercised but every aspect of being a top athlete into one book (Diet, sleep, etc.). I hope you enjoyed reading about a real unsung hero of USA weightlifting.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Why the Deadlift is the BEST LIFT
April 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
This is one of several 700 pound plus deadlifts that I did in powerlifting competitions through the years. This picture is from the 2002 NASA Natural Nationals Powerlifting Championships.
I know – this is a bold statement I just made. But after years of training experience, I truly believe that the deadlift is the best exercise for building overall body strength and power. I know there are people who would disagree with me on this statement, and I’m sure they have their reasons, but let me explain my feelings behind this and then you can give your arguments!
1. Argument 1 – The Squat is the KING of LIFTS
Early on I thought the Squat was the KING of LIFTS (and I’m sure others think this as well), and the squat is by far the best lower body exercise, but other than that the deadlift RULES. Very little upper body muscles come into play while squatting compared to a deadlift. The deadlift works EVERY MUSCLE – lower and upper. A deadlift hits the thighs, hamstrings, lower back, upper back, and even the chest muscles. Plus it works the forearm and hand muscles. A squat doesn’t do that! Just name a lift that works all the muscles like a deadlift does – I bet you can’t name one!
2. Argument 2 – The Deadlift will make you slow
I know the “deadlift critics” will say that the deadlift will make you slow. I just don’t believe that. The “critics” are usually ex-Olympic lifters who favor the Clean & Jerk and Snatch and are poor deadlifters (mainly because they don’t like it and don’t train it). Now – I’m not saying these two Olympic lifts are not great lifts (they both make my top five), but for building overall body strength they pale in comparison to the deadlift. The Olympic lifts are highly technical and unless you are training them exclusively you have a hard time maintaining the proper techique and ability in them. Add in a little age and decreased flexibility, and both of these lifts are limited by your technique and not by your strength. And by the way, I have seen several Clean and Jerks that were PAINFULLY SLOW – so don’t use the “explosive” argument with me. Any exercise can be done in an “explosive manner”. Just use less weight and increase your speed of execution!
3. Argument 3 – I don’t want to hurt my back
The argument of not wanting to hurt your back by AVOIDING the best back exercise known to man does not even make sense to me! Exercise strengthens the muscles and prevents injury (of course you have to be training correctly, but that’s another issue). Name one exercise that strengthens the back better than the deadlift?? Lots of money has been invested in machines that make this promise – but where are they now? They come and go with different manufacturers but the deadlift remains. That ought to tell you something.
3. Argument 4 – I’m an athlete and not a powerlifter
I hear this all the time. Just because the deadlift is one of the competitive powerlifts does not make it a BAD EXERCISE. Several of my Highland Game friends seem to think the deadlift is an evil lift and has no benefit to a competitive Highland Athlete. Instead, they focus on dangerous lifts like jump squats and lifts on BOSU Balls. But I will tell you – STRONG IS STRONG, and if you want to be strong, you have to train to be strong. And NOTHING makes you strong like the deadlift! This translates to increased ability in ANY strength related sport. I always loved the Caber Toss in the Highland Games the most, mainly because it directly reflected on who the strongest throwers were. I always threw in the more advanced classes and at that level everyone was experienced, and everyone knew how to toss the caber. It was always very apparent who the strongest throwers were when it got to big cabers, because only the strongest guys turned them. Sure the weaker-strength caber tossers looked “picture perfect” with light sticks, but when things “turned ugly” with the big sticks all the weak throwers could do was make their pfiffers look pretty. Great caber tossers like Mike Smith, Jim “the Big Chief” McGoldrick, Ryan Vierra, and Harry McDonald were BULL STRONG. If the deadlift was contested instead of the caber these same guys would have still been on top.
By now you can tell that I am a little partial to the deadlift! But my feeling is that if I was given the choice to train only ONE LIFT – it would be the deadlift. There is just not any other lifting motion as pure as deadlifting. Men have been picking up things off the ground for years and the deadlift strengthens this basic physical function better than any other lift. Of course, these are all just my opinions and I welcome anyone to debate these points on the USAWA Discussion Forum.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The One Arm Snatch: My Five Favorite Pictures
April 17, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
One of my favorite all-round lifts is the One Arm Snatch. From the first time I tried it I knew I was going to like it. I have never been a good Olympic lifter (I started my lifting career as a Powerlifter), and everyone knows that it is much harder to master the proper technique of Olympic Lifting as you get older. It is something you should learn to become proficient in early on at a young age – and definitely not after several years of heavy bench press training and the tight shoulders that follow. But the One Arm Snatch – now here was my chance to do an Olympic-type lift that really requires NO advance training in Olympic Lifting as it is so different from the 2-handed Snatch. I think I also like this lift because my One Armed Snatch is not too far behind my Two Handed Snatch. I can do slightly over 75% in the One Arm Snatch compared to the two handed version, which either means I excel at the One Arm Snatch or I am just really, really bad at the Two Handed Snatch!
I want to share my five favorite pictures of the One Arm Snatch. Actually it took me longer to narrow down my list to five than write this blog! Several I went back and forth on – and then the REALLY hard part was ranking them! The One Arm Snatch is also often referred to as the One Hand Snatch, which is the older term that describes this lift. Now on to the pictures!!!
Picture #5
Arthur Saxon and the One Arm Snatch.
I have always been an Arthur Saxon fan. Arthur is usually noted for his outstanding Bent Press and 2-Hands Anyhow, but he was also quite good at the One Arm Snatch. Unlike alot of other Oldtime Strongmen, I truly believe the lift poundages reported by Arthur Saxon. He was a true weightlifter more than a strongman performer. His best official Right Hand Snatch was 195 pounds, and his best unofficial Right Hand Snatch was 210 pounds. This was done at around 200-210 pounds bodyweight – AMAZING!
Picture #4
Milo Steinborn and the One Arm Snatch.
Henry “Milo” Steinborn has left his legacy in the USAWA with his signature lift, the Steinborn Lift. What most people don’t realize is that Steinborn was more than just a squatter, as he excelled at the quick lifts as well. I like this picture because it signifies a truly “Oldtime Strongman” approach to weightlifting. Notice the thick handled barbell with no knurling and the globe ends. This bar weighed 173 pounds. This picture was taken in 1921 in an exhibition done by Steinborn in Philadelphia. It has been said he snatched this bar with one hand SIX TIMES that day!
Picture #3
Vasily Alexeev and the One Arm Snatch.
In 1980, the great Super Heavyweight Russian Olympic Lifter and winner of many Olympic Gold Medals, Vasily Alexeev performed a One Arm Snatch of 231 pounds. I am sure he didn’t train this lift much at all, but still put up one of the best performances of all time. Notice how he is catching the One Arm Snatch like a regular squat snatch. This lift was done in an exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Picture#2
Bob Burtzloff and the One Arm Snatch.
My brother-in-law Bob Burtzloff introduced me to the USAWA over 20 years ago. Bob is a legend in all-round lifting in the Midwest prior to the USAWA being formed. He was a great all-round lifter, and excelled at one arm lifts. His 171 pound One Arm Snatch performed in 1987 still ranks as the BEST ALL-TIME One Arm Snatch in the USAWA Record Book. This picture was from the old USAWA Rulebook, and was early inspiration for me to train the One Arm Snatch.
Picture #1
Charles Rigoulot and the One Arm Snatch.
This is my favorite picture for one reason – because Charles Rigoulet was the best of ALL-TIME! In 1929, he made a Right Hand Snatch of 115 kilograms (253.5 pounds). This was done at a muscular bodyweight of 215 pounds. A lot of people considered Rigoulot an One Arm Snatch specialist, but I disagree. He also was very good at several other lifts, including the Olympic Lifts. One thing about this picture that impresses me is his strict technique – notice his heels together at completion and upright finish. Rigoulot loved to lift with his shot-loaded barbells, and it is also appropriate that this picture shows him doing just that.
Well, there you have it. Now tomorrow I may have another list of 5 different favorites, but why can’t a man change his mind? I hope these pictures give someone the inspiration to go to the gym and train the One Arm Snatch today!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Gone Fishin’
April 22, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Our USAWA Secretary Al Myers knows how to relax from the stresses of work and weightlifting. He goes fishing! But by looking at the size of these two big paddlefish he caught this week, it looks like he had to put his training to good use!
I sent Al Myers a message the other day and he said he was on a fishin’ trip. I said, “AGAIN!” I often will call Al, and he’ll return my call and say, “Sorry, I was taking my nap”. I like Al, he’s a good guy. But he’s also a pretty smart guy. Al works hard and when it’s time to rest, he rests hard.
Weightlifters are a special breed. Some might say we were so special we are mentally ill! We do tend to be pretty obsessive and often that’s a good thing. But just as often, we don’t know when to back off (I can’t say “quit”….because we don’t like that word!).
Recuperation is more than sleep, it’s rest, it’s feeling rested and ready. It’s often the lost ingredient in an effective training program. I work at a medical school and the constantly tell the students…”GET MORE SLEEP”. Because more sleep, more rest means less mistakes. A doctor makes a mistake, and people can die. A weightlifter makes a mistake and an injury can result that, at best, will set us back a few days, at worst, end a career!
But it’s more than just your body that needs sleep. Sleep is probably most important for you brain. I would argue that you brain needs sleep more than any other part of your body. Why? Well, science hasn’t quite figured that out yet. But the fact is that the brain does some pretty important things ONLY when it’s asleep. And your most important training tool is you brain. If your brain is not fresh and focused, your body won’t be.
I think that every lifting program should also include how you are going to rest and how long. It should also include the occasional break from lifting altogether. So, every once in awhile you have to remind yourself to back off a little. So, get more sleep. Take a nap. And go Fishin’.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Name This Group
April 23, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Picture from 2006 Gold Cup. (front): Ed Schock (second row - left to right): Denny Habecker, Elizabeth Monk, Karen Gardner, Dick Durante, Dennis Mitchell, Scott Schmidt, Kathy Schmidt, Mary Anne Durante (Back row - left to right): John Monk, Steve Gardner, Jim Malloy, and Judy Habecker. Picture taken by Flossie Mitchell.
Now I know most everyone in this picture, but I would like someone else to identify and name these members of the All-Round Weightlifting family. I received this picture from our USAWA President Denny Habecker. Most of the other pics that Denny has given me has “pertinent information” written on the back – but this one didn’t!! Also – I have no idea which meet this group picture came from. So consider this a CALL FOR HELP and help me in this quest of proper picture identification!!! I will update the names in the caption as the proper identification is provided on the USAWA Discussion Forum.
Thanks goes to Denny Habecker for providing the information to identify everyone in this picture!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
MEET REMINDER – Monster Garage Contest
April 24, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Larry Traub
I need to get a rough idea of how many lifters to expect at the Monster Garage contest. Please E mail me back with yes, no, probably, maybe or whatever. If you have someone coming with you let me know. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be big, so I’m looking for entries. I know a lot of you didn’t have time to prepare properly but think about jumping in to post some numbers as a baseline for improvement for future years. There is still complete information at usawa.com. Click on Monster Garage under coming events. I also have two articles that I wrote at the site. Check it out if you get a chance. You will also fine some info about a machine I built. I’ve been working on it for over two years and it has been recently been painted and is taking it’s place in the weightroom. I’m anxious to get some feedback on it, especially from Ray, Doug, Tom, Tim and people who have been involved with strength training and athletics over the years. Just drop me a line and tell me where you stand. For the Iron Tiger alumni make sure the beverages you bring are age appropriate.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Eastern Open Postal
April 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET RESULTS – The 2011 Eastern Open Postal Meet
Chuck Cookson put up a big 12" Base Squat in the 2011 Eastern Open Postal Meet. His squat of 600 pounds is the top lift of ALL-TIME in the USAWA Record List. This postal meet drew 19 competitors, which according to Meet Director John Wilmot, is the most he has ever had in one of his postal meets. John has been coordinating the USAWA Postal Series Meets the past several years.
MEET RESULTS
Eastern Open Postal Meet March 1-31st, 2011
Meet Director: John Wilmot
Lifts Contested: Bench Press – Alternate Grip, Squat – 12″ Base, Deadlift – Dumbbell, One Arm
Lifters using 3 Certified Officials:
Denny Habecker – Officials Art Montini, Scott Schmidt, John McKean John McKean – Officials Art Montini, Scott Schmidt, Denny Habecker Art Montini – Officials John McKean, Scott Schmidt, Denny Habecker Joe Ciavattone Jr. – Officials Art Montini, John McKean, Scott Schmidt Joe Ciavattone Sr. – Officials Art Montini, John McKean, Scott Schmidt Jonathon Ciavattone - Officials Art Montini, John McKean, Scott Schmidt Kohl Hess – Officials Art Montini, John McKean, Scott Schmidt Al Myers – Officials Mark Mitchell, Scott Tully, Darren Barnhart Darren Barnhart – Officials Al Myers, Scott Tully, Mark Mitchell Scott Tully – Officials Al Myers, Darren Barnhart, Mark Mitchell Chuck Cookson – Offiicals Al Myers, Scott Tully, Mark Mitchell
Lifters using 1 Certified Official:
Mike Murdock – Official Thom Van Vleck Helen Kahn – Official Randy Smith Randy Smith – Official Helen Kahn Scott Campbell – Offiicial Al Myers Chad Ullom – Official Al Myers Dave Beversdorf – Official Joe Garcia
Lifters using a judge who is not a certified official:
Orie Barnett - Sam Rogers John Wilmot – Kay Wilmot
WOMENS DIVISION
Lifter Age BWT BP SQ DL-DB Total Points
Helen Kahn 59 161 70 115 101-R 296 361.6
MENS DIVISION
Lifter Age BWT BP SQ DL- Total Points DB
Al Myers 44 251 335 507 395- 1237 1028.4 R
Chuck Cookson 41 274 300 600 305- 1205 932.4 R
Chad Ullom 39 240 275 440 350- 1065 862.8 R
Orie Barnett 50 228 251 427 255- 933 860.6 R
Dave 45 300 400 500 205- 1105 850.2 Beversdorf R
Randy Smith 56 196 195 300 281- 776 819.6 R
Scott Campbell 36 302 275 500 300- 1075 777.9 L
Joe Ciavattone 17 220 260 385 222- 867 772.1 Jr. R
Joe Ciavattone 42 254 325 315 272- 912 739.5 Sr. R
Denny 68 188 165 265 182- 612 730.7 Habecker R
Scott Tully 35 345 350 440 210- 1000 710.9 R
Darren 43 290 280 330 310- 920 705.6 Barnhart R
Kohl Hess 16 285 175 385 277- 837 684.8 R
John McKean 65 175 145 175 222- 542 659.4 R
Jonathon 16 234 210 255 222- 687 620.2 Ciavattone R MIke Murdock 71 231 175 220 158- 553 602.7 L
John Wilmot 64 219 145 225 160- 530 563.1 R
Art Montini 83 179 80 135 149- 364 499.4 R
Notes: All lifts recorded in pounds. BWT is bodyweight in pounds. R and L stand for right and left. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted for age and bodyweight.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Wilbur Bohm, Pioneer of Sports Medicine
April 26, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Dr. Wilbur Bohm, pioneer of Sports Medicine by Thom Van Vleck
I recently did a story on Dr. Russell Wright who was pretty well know in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s in the weightlifting world for his work in sports medicine. In that article I mentioned Dr. Wilbur Bohm. Dr. Bohm was certainly Dr. Wrights inspiration in terms of Bohm’s early work in sports medicine leading the way. Dr. Bohm wrote nearly 2 dozen books on athletic training and was the first every full time sports physician for a professional team. He worked for the Cardinals, the Redskins, and the Reds, just to name a few. He was a founding member of the National Athletic Trainer Association and was the first ever inducted into their hall of fame in 1962.
Wilbur Bohm started out as the Washington State University head athletic trainer before becoming an osteopathic surgeon in 1919. He is credited with helping define sports medicine by writing books and filming a 1941 documentary on charley horses and sprained ankles. Bohm – with Jake Weber, Billy Morris and the Cramer brothers – was a member of the first athletic training squad to serve a U.S. Olympic Team, in 1932 in Los Angeles. You will recognize the name “Cramer” as the name of the company that makes training supplies. I use Cramer spray tacky all the time!
Bohm did so much and was involved in so much a book could be written about him. I would like to focus on a couple of stories on him.
First, he was friends, possibly best friends, with the man I affectionately refer to as the “Phantom of the Anvil”. Several years ago I was at the Rec Center here at the school I work at (A.T. Still University) and saw this picture on the wall. Since that time I have devoted a lot of time trying to figure out who this man was. I have a couple leads, and someday I WILL figure this mystery out. I do know know this man left school before graduating to join the war effort in WWI. He was legendary playing football and there are many stories I have found on him that include a 70 yard drop kick documented in a game (I know, seems impossible) and stories of him dragging numerous opponents down the field refusing to be tackled. He was said to be 6′6″ tall and he had a build that was very good for his day. But that story is for another day and for now, he’s the Phantom. You will find this photo in the JWC gym and in the Dino Gym.
The Phantom of the Anvil circa 1918 (notice the skull and cross bones on his shirt, that was the school sports logo)
It was through the “Phantom” I learned about Dr. Bohm. As I have researched the Phantom, I have found his connection to Dr. Bohm and that opened me up to the amazing accomplishments of Dr. Bohm and his connection to Dr. Wright. It seems that the Phantom and Dr. Bohm were good friends and played football, baseball, threw shot and discus and participated in other sports with the schools teams. Yes, back then, the medical school had sports, even a hockey team…and less surprisingly a golf team! Dr. Bohm was quite an athlete as well and a very big man in those days. I found one listing of him at 6′4″. He threw the shot and discus at the Drake Relays, one of the most prestigious and oldest track & field meets in the world! Some day, I’ll learn the mystery of the Phantom of the Anvil and when I do, Dr. Bohm’s story will be a part of it.
The second story on Dr. Bohm I’d like to share relates to his work in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. He served as the team physician in those Games and if you recall, it was the 1932 Olympics where the modern Olympic lifting began. The lifts were cut to three that year (Clean & Press, Snatch, and Clean & Jerk) and it appears to be a watershed moment in terms of Olympic lifting’s popularity. You may recall that Bob Hoffman attended the 1932 Olympics and when he returned to York he started York Barbell. Karo Whitfield also attended the 1932 Olympics and as a result he made a life long friendship with Hoffman and the York Gang and returned to the Atlanta area and started a legendary gym, ran hundreds of bodybuilding and weightlifting meets, and trained thousands. That list includes Paul Anderson, Harry Johnson (1959 Mr. America) and ran meets that saw Joe Dube’, Frank Zane, Boyer Coe, and many, many others get their feet wet. So, that 1932 Olympics had three very important people it the sports world: Dr. Bohm, the “Father of Sports Medicine”, Bob Hoffman, the “Father of American Weightlifting”, and Karo Whitfield, “The Bob Hoffman of the South”.
The third and final story has to do with what may be Dr. Bohm’s greatest accomplishment. In the Museum archives of A.T. Still, there is a collection of Dr. Bohm’s works. Some are original type written copies of some of his books, personal notes, and a very interesting book that includes the raw data he collected for a study he did entitled “How Champions Train”.
"How Champions Train" by Wilbur Bohn, D.O.
The book itself is not very long and it’s message is really quite simple. Coaches need to train athletes as individuals with different needs. This may seem pretty common sense, but before this they would often train athletes with special diets that would be extreme in design and workout programs that weren’t very specific and overtraining was the norm. The real treasure is the “scrap” book that is with the original manuscript that holds all the questionnaires from most of the track athletes at the 1936 Olympics. Each athlete had been given the questionnaire at the Olympics and had autographed each one. There are also many personal letters from these athletes over the next two years as he compiled results, most still in the original envelopes. Since I am more of a “field” guy than a “track” guy I was focused on the throwers. There were letters from Dimitri Zaitz (6th place shot put), Ken Carpenter (Gold medal, discus), Lee Bartlett (12th place in the Javelin), William Rowe (5th in the Hammer throw), among others. But there was one name from the track portion that caught my eye…..Jesse Owens. Yes, in this stack of personally filled out questionnaires that had been signed by each athlete was one from Jesse Owens. It detailed his typical diet, training, etc. I asked the Museum curator just to be sure and she confirmed the signature was really his!
Many of Dr. Bohm’s books were on training athletes and injuries. His collection includes many photos of him with famous sports figures that he helped over the years. While his conclusions today may seem well know and well accepted, you have to understand in his time they were groundbreaking. Dr. Bohm was a great athlete and a great doctor who’s legacy is long and wide!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Heavy Lift Nationals Reminder
April 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The deadline for entry into the 2011 USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals is approaching. The deadline is May 7th. There will be no late entries accepted. This is stated FIRMLY on the entry form, but I just want to remind everyone of this since most of the USAWA meets do not have entry deadlines. The reason for this deadline is that administrative decisions will be made based on the number of entrants. This meet will be different than most of the past USAWA meets in that we have only a set amount of time to get the meet finished. We can NOT run past this time limit because it would interfere with the other functions planned at York Barbell that day. Also, awards will be made up based on the number of entrants – thus another reason for the meet deadline.
Even if you don’t plan to compete in this meet, try to make it there that day. In the afternoon (from 2-6) we will have a spot in the gym to set up a display table and perform lifts for records or exhibition. There is no entry to participate in this – just show up. It will give us a great opportunity to talk to people coming through the York Show about All-Round lifting and the USAWA. See everyone in York on May 21st!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
USAWA Nationals in TWO MONTHS
April 28, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
The USAWA Nationals is in two months! Time to get your plans made and entries sent in. I have a had a lot of interest, but the entries have been slow. There is no deadline on the entry form, but there is a point I need to have numbers for my banquet! So get those entries sent in.
I will have polo type shirts with embroidered “USAWA Nationals 2011″ on it. We will have anvils for trophies for the winners and other awards for place winners. You will not walk away empty handed, but if you want a JWC Anvil you will have to earn it! We will have a great banquet experience after the meet and you won’t forget it. We will have a strongman show after the contest with world class short steel bending, hot water bottle explosions, bed of nails (like Ed Zercher used to do) and much more.
This will be an USAWA Nationals like no other! Often in life we are faced with choices and you “can’t do them all”. This is one you won’t want to miss!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Heavy Lift Nationals
December 20, 2010 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT – 2011 HEAVY LIFT NATIONALS
Welcome USAWA to York Barbell!!!
This is an upcoming USAWA meet that you will not want to miss! For the first time ever, the USAWA will host an All-Round Weightlifting Meet at the meca of American Weightlifting – the YORK BARBELL COMPANY! York Barbell retail manager Mike Locondro has invited us to be part of a very special day in York on May 21st. Mike is reviving the tradition started many, many years ago by Bob Hoffman in sitting aside a day to invite EVERYONE who is interested in lifting weights to come together at York for a day of enjoyment. Bob Hoffman’s annual weightlifting picnics at York were always sensational, and created memories that have withstood generations of lifters. Mike is very familiar with the USAWA, having competed himself several times throughout the 90’s. It was very generous of him to invite us to be part of this day. This will be a special day in more ways than one.
For the FIRST TIME, we (the USAWA) will be competing in a BIG STAGE ENVIRONMENT. That is why I proposed to the USAWA Executive Board to have our Heavy Lift Nationals on this day. These lifts are very crowd pleasing – lifting BIG weights in OLDTIME lifts. Due to time and space constraints, we will have only 3 hours in the main auditorium to complete our competition so this year only 3 heavy lifts will be contested – the Neck Lift, the Hand and Thigh Lift, and the Hip Lift. If our competitor list is over a dozen, we will run two platforms. Entries will have to be in advance in order for us to plan accordingly. I expect there will be LOTS of spectators throughout the day so this will give us the opportunity to showcase our unique lifting skills to many people. In the afternoon (from 2 PM to 6 PM) we will move to the York gym area and have a record day. However, most of our purpose will be to demonstrate the many All-Round Lifts of the USAWA and talk to people coming through the show. This will be our chance to “show the World” what the USAWA has to offer. Hopefully, we will be able to recruit some new lifters to our organization.
The main purpose of this day is raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project. All proceeds from this event will go to this organization. The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization that helps injured service men and women in physical rehabilitation. They have a Disabled Sports Project that introduces wounded service members to new sports activities that help in their physical recovery. Truly a noble cause. As I said, this day will be a special day in more ways than one!
There will be several other activities going on this day besides our involvement. The highlight of the day will be the York Barbell Hall of Fame induction of Slim “The Hammer Man” Farman, which will occur during the noontime ceremony. Other strength demonstrations will be going on – strongman demos, bending demos, a kettlebell instructional session, etc. Plus – I heard there might be a raffle. You need to add in a tour of the York Hall of Fame and York Museum, and visit the retail store. As I said earlier, this is one meet you do not want to miss!
FOR ENTRY FORM – 2011HeavyLiftNationals
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Black Swamp Meet
April 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
ATOMIC ATHLETIC GREAT BLACK SWAMP OLDE TIME STRONGMAN PICNIC AND ALL-ROUND MEET Roger LaPointe, of Atomic Athletic, is hosting an All-Round Weightlifting Meet on May 14th. Roger is not new to the USAWA as a meet director, as he has hosted a couple of competitions in the past – but it has been a few years. I am REALLY GLAD to see him get back into the USAWA fold by promoting this meet! Roger owns a very unique equipment company, Atomic Athletic, that caters to lifters wanting to buy unique equipment that we as All-Rounders would appreciate. He also sells about anything else that a lifter would need. Take a little time and check out his website for his business - Atomic Athletic.
This meet will feature two popular all-round lifts – the One Hand Deadlift and the Clean and Push Press. This day will be more than just a meet. Roger has planned a picnic and other Strongman Shows to compliment the meet. It sounds like a great day of fun!!
Great Black Swamp Olde-Time Strongman Picnic Promotional Poster.
For an entry form, click here - Black Swamp Meet Entry Form
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events The One Best Exercise
May 1, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
My brother Tedd is a Clean and Press man. It goes to show that different exercises work best for different lifters.
I was out throwing with Bill Leffler the other day. We were talking training and some of our frustrations. Between us, we have about 75 years of lifting and throwing experience and the topic became “The One Best Exercise”.
I recall many years ago in an old Ironman there was a question posed to several top lifters and trainers: “If you could do only one exercise, what would it be”? The answers centered around two lifts. The squat and the Clean & Press. Debates and arguments were presented. It kind of reminded me of a recent thread on the USAWA forum centered around Al Myers’ article on the Deadlift. The reality is that there are exercises that are better than others, but all exercises have some merit, and it all depends on what you want and how you use it to get what you want.
1. Does the exercise work the most muscles in the body? The Clean & Press certainly does that, but the Squat and Deadlift certainly work the biggest muscles in the body the hardest. If that were the only criteria for the One Best Exercise, that would probably be the end of it…but that is not the only criteria. I would argue it’s not even the best way to chose the One Best Exercise.
2. Does the exercise create the adaptation that you desire? We all lift for different reasons. I lift mainly to improve my throwing for Scottish Highland Games. Does the lift fulfill that need? Do you grind out reps, or do you explode through them?
3. Any exercise done for too long will become more and more dangerous and less and less effective. You get stale, you get lazy on your technique, and eventually the boredom, lack of focus, repetition on the body will lead to injury. Your body is always fighting against you because it is trying to protect itself and when it knows what is coming, it will resist damaging itself.
4. Do you perform the Deadlift in a way that creates the muscle adaptation you desire? The JWC has a member that has done a 4 times bodyweight deadlift. He can’t clear 8 ft with the 56lb Weight in the Weight Over Bar event. Al is a great deadlifter and when he was deadlifting 700 plus he could clear nearly 16ft!!! The JWC member is very much a specialist and he’s very happy with the adaptation he has created. Al trains for different reasons and his lifting has adapted to that.
So, my opinion is the “ONE BEST EXERCISE” changes over time and it depends on how you perform the exercise. You have to find what works for you, and you must think outside the box from time to time. I was stuck at 360 on my Bench Press for a year and made a point to specialize on my Bench for a year and managed only 365! I used the best routines I could find. So, out of desperation, I started doing 10 sets of 10 reps. I started with 185lbs and kept adding 10lbs a week until I finally got 300lbs for 10 sets of 10. After only 12 weeks I then maxed out and hit 400! A 35lb jump! I have theories on why this worked but my point is that it was unorthodox and I don’t know if I even recommend it! So, don’t get too hung up on finding that “magic” exercise because it’s kind of like the old saying “Just when I figured it out, they changed the rules”. Just when you find that “One Best Exercise” your body adapts and its time to shake things up and keep an open mind. As for me….I’m doing deadlifts and squats right now, but not forever!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Team Spirit
May 2, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
We have a lot of fun with our team rivalries in the USAWA. While it is all in good fun, it has gotten heated from time to time, but that’s OK. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get fired up for big lifts! It reminds me a lot of the rivalry I felt when I was a Marine. We hated the Army, Air Force, and Navy, but when we had a common enemy we quickly banded together. In the Marines we had a saying: “You won’t find a better friend or worse enemy”. I also believe: “Once a Marine, always a Marine” (Chesty Puller said that, the most decorated Marine of all time and a personal hero). I feel the same about my affiliation with the JWC.
A great photo of Dino Gym member and enforcer Scott Tully....in a great shirt! While I've kidded Scott about this photo, it would not be hard to find one of me in a Dino Gym shirt. And, no, that's not my bald head in the photo! We all enjoy our training for lots of reasons. I’m sure most of us have a primary reason for doing it and for most, that primary reason is probably to get strong! For a bodybuilder it may be to “look strong” (I never understood why you would want to look stronger than you really were….I want to be stronger than I look!). The reality is that we probably train and compete for lots of reasons beyond that. One of those reasons is for the social aspect. We are humans, we generally seek out companionship….even loners will have a dog or cat for companionship! So, for social interaction, we join teams. Now, I’m not talking about “socializing” (although that certainly happens!) but the act of finding a common bond or thread. Common interests, so to speak. That’s the social aspect I’m talking about.
We also like competition. I can recall going out to the old JWC gym at about age 10 with a buddy of mine and doing a powerclean and push press. The first thing he did was slide on a little more weight and lift it….and it was “ON”! We didn’t stop until we’d about killed ourselves! Teams give us the best of both world’s. We can hook up with like minded individuals and find the motivation of competition within our own team and then against other teams. But we can also have mutual respect for our rivals. I know I have a lot of respect for my “rivals” in the Dino Gym, Clark’s Gym, Ledaig…and the rest. That’s why I own at least a t- shirt from each and in the case of the Dino gym almost a whole wardrobe of clothes!
Teams are a good thing. They give us motivation, friendships, rivalries, and in the end, good times. Being a part of a team can hold us to a higher standard than standing alone. It can also reflect a lot about who we are and if done right, in a very positive way. So join a team in the USAWA, or start a new one and join the rivalry for bigger gains and good fun. I’m sure Scott will love the fact I used his photo for my example….and I’m sure it will motivate him to lift a little harder the next time we compete!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
York Update
May 4, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers We are now just a little over two weeks away from our Heavy Lift Nationals at York Barbell, in York, PA. The event organizer and the person who made this whole affair happen, Mike Loncondro, just sent me the days itinerary. There will be many activities happening at the same time. We will have our competition in the Main Gym while the kettlebell workshop will be in the auditorium. We will need to have our meet done by noon in order for all attention to be given to the main feature of the day – the York Hall of Fame induction of Slim the Hammerman. In the afternoon, we will have a record day session and All-Round Weightlifting demonstrations. Hopefully, this will give us the opportunity to introduce the All-Round Lifts to several new lifters.
The meet t-shirts are being picked up today. On behalf of the USAWA, several of these shirts will be donated to this event to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. This charity helps wounded soldiers restore their physical abilities through the pursuit of athletic fitness. It is truly a worthwhile cause!! I think everyone will really like the t-shirts I designed for this. The awards will be ordered the first of next week for the competition. So – all the plans are “in motion” to make this day a very special day for everyone involved.
Kettlebells For Warriors – May 21, 2011 Schedule of Events
Main Gym Auditorium Main Hall
0800 USAWA Contest
0830
0900 Crossfit Workout KB Workshop Registration
0930
1000 USAWA/Crossfit Opening Ceremony
1030 KB Workshop (until 0100)
1100 BREAK 1130
1200 USAWA/Crossfit
1230
0100 LUNCH (until 0300) LUNCH (until 0300) Dan Cenidoza and Slim
0130
0200
0230
0300 USAWA/Crossfit KB Workshop (until Mighty Mitts Bending 0500)
0330
0400
0430
0500
0530 Main Gym Clean Up Auditorium Clean Up Main Hall Clean Up
0600
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Angelo Siciliano, aka The 97 Pound Weakling
May 5, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
Angelo Siciliano, aka The 97 Pound Weakling
Angelo, sometimes called Angelino, was born in Calabria Italy in 1893, either on October 30, or April 20, depending if you asked his mother,Teresa, or his father, Santo. He arrived in the United States at the age of ten, and lived in a poor section of Brooklyn, New York. After a short time his father, who worked as a farmer, returned to Italy. His mother, a devout Catholic, raised him while working in a sweat shop as a seamstress. Angelo soon left school and went to work in a factory making ladies pocketbooks.
Angelo was a frail child, and two times was beaten up, once near his home and once at Coney Island on the beach. Humiliated that he could not defend himself, he joined the Y.M.C.A. where he started working out on stretching machines and doing gymnastics. He read Bernard Macfadden’s Physical Culture magazine, and using a set of home-made barbells followed his instructions. He said that his results were very disappointing. At this time in order to sound more American, he changed his name to Charles. While visiting the zoo at the age of seventeen, he was fascinated with a muscular lion and watched as the lion would stretch and “flex” his muscles. Charles thought this may be a more natural way to develop his muscles. Using a system of using one muscle against another muscle, he began to show results and by the age of nineteen, he was demonstrating a chest developer in a store on Broadway. He was soon working as an artist’s model and performing strength feats in vaudeville with a strongman named “Young Sampson”. He worked with Earl E. Liederman and in the ConeyIsland Circus side show.
This was a popular advertisement for the Dynamic Tension Training Program.
In 1918 he married Margaret Casana and in time they had two children. It was somewhere around this time that he legally changed his last name to Atlas. In 1921 he won Bernard Macfadden’s ” Worlds Most Perfectly Developed Man” contest at Madison Square Garden. When he won again the following year, Macfadden said there was no use putting on future contests because Atlas would win every time. In 1922 Atlas started his mail order body building business. His course needed no equipment, and he also gave advice on nutrition, grooming and personal behavior. For several years his business was struggling. He opened and soon closed a gym in Manhattan. He worked as physical director at a summer camp for two years, with no pay. His mail order business finally started to make money in 1928, when he hired a young advertising agent named Charles P. Roman. Charles Atlas Ltd. was formed in February 1928 with the two men being equal partners. Under Roman’s guidance the business was very successful. It was Roman who came up with the name of “Dynamic Tension”, which was the main part of the Charles Atlas system. They advertised in many pulp magazines, Popular Science, and many comic books. The course sold for $30.00. He opened branches in London, England in1936, and one in Rio de Janeiro in 1939. By the early 1940’s, over 400,000 copies of the Atlas course had been sold. Even with his financial success, Atlas lived a private and simple life. The partnership lasted until 1970, when Atlas retired and sold his half of the business to Roman.
This body building article would not be complete without a list of Charles Atlas’s measurements. He stood 5′10″, 180 pounds, 17″neck, 47″ chest, 17″ biceps, 14″ forearms, 32″waist, and 23.75″ thighs.
Charles Atlas died in Point Lookout, New York, December 23, 1972.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Black Swamp Meet & Picnic Reminder
May 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
By Andrew Durniat
Saturday, May 14 in Bowling Green, Ohio is again the location of the Atomic Athletic Great Black Swamp Olde Time Strongman Picnic. This is the 5th year for the picnic and it stands to be the best one yet.
Old time strongmen and martial artists will perform amazing feats of strength and dexterity at the new Atomic Athletic building in Bowling Green, OH from 1PM to 6PM. No where else have you seen performances like this! Not since the Bob Hoffman Birthday Picnics at the old York Barbell has anyone seen a classic picnic like at Atomic Athletic.
There will be a Kettlebell Sport mini-clinic, performers bending steel and rolling up frying pans with there bare hands. Martial Arts demonstrations and booths, Indian clubs, circus performers, barbell and kettlebell juggling. The feats of strength will continue all day. This year, Roger LaPointe, owner of Atomic Athletic has added a sanctioned USAWA record breakers meet. Two lifts will be contested; One Hand Barbell Deadlift and the Clean and Push Press.
I will be going after the One Hand Barbell Deadlift Record of 475 lbs. Training has been good, so if you have the day free, come to Bowling Green, Ohio and cheer everyone to big lifts. I feel 500+ lbs. will be lifted.
(WEBMASTER’S NOTE: Andrew Durniat graciously allowed us to “rerun” this meet reminder from his website DurniatStrength. Take a little time and browse through his website – it is filled with LOTS of interesting news and information. )
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Monster Garage Meet
May 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
MEET REPORT AND RESULTS
POWER IN SOUTHERN INDIANA
Larry Traub squats 520 pounds in the Monster Garage Meet.
Abstinence of chemical assistance when building strength has long been the message of Larry Traub. His inclination and mind set are that anything worth having is worth working (hard) for and, thus, earning. He has preached this message to hundreds of his high school lifters over the years. That is what led the multi-time national masters powerlifting champ to the USAWA. It was against this backdrop that 5 of his former high school pupils/lifters returned to their mentor, joined his current protege and took to the platform. All to be a part of the first, and now to be annual, USAWA sponsored Monster Garage Powerlifting Meet and Record Breakers Day. The pedigrees of each of these young men is impressive. Even the spotters were former high caliber lifters! One of the judges, Larry’s brother Barry, can even boast a 650 deadlift! The only mongrel in the house was yours truly!! This was, indeed, an exceptional day of lifting.
The premise was simple. The lifts contested would be the three powerlifts. The ‘catch’ being that the rules of the USAWA would be enforced (rules are no joke!). So, all the lifts were truly raw, and as they used to say in drag racing, ‘run what ya brung!’ With only seven contestants, the action was fast and furious. As there were a wide range of weight classes being contested, so were the weights being handled by the lifters.
Monster Garage Participants: upper left - Adam Roth, upper right - Tyler Baines, lower left - Blake Dedas, lower right - Bobby Bonifacio
The youngest of the crowd was 18 year old high school senior, Adam Roth. His flawless technique helped him accumulate a total of 930 pounds at a body weight of 58.8 kg. (he was voted ‘best lifter’ junior and senior years at st. ‘X’ high school, Louisville). Tyler Baines kept the momentum rolling, posting a total of 935 pounds. Another technician, he used that along with determination to secure his place in the meet (he was teen national champ/bronze medalist at sub junior worlds). Showing true competition experience was Felix Rodriguez. His 455 pound deadlift was outstanding and gave way to his final total of 1070 pounds (he was 2nd at teen nationals). Blake Dedas came to show that strongman training has left him in good stead as he posted a fine 1485 total at a 220 pound body weight (he was a subjunior team member and collegiate national champ). Drew Traub, Larry’s boy, provided proof that strength does run in families. He took a break from his usual 60 hour work weeks and ran up a total of 1385 pounds with next to no training for the past year (he was a teen national champ and subjunior world champ). The new kid in the house was Bobby Bonifacio, Larry’s son-in-law (and my god-son in-law, lol). Bobby started training about 9 months ago and to say his lifts needed help, at that time, would be the understatement of the year!! Bobby has persistence, a great attitude and a top notch coach to thank for a very creditable total of an even grand. I am certain this will spur him on to even greater totals in the future.
When the final attempt was made, the tally sheets said that it was the old man, Larry Traub himself, who carried the day! His bench presses made one of the spotters remark, “coach!!? is that your shoulder creekin’?? It sounds like someone is trying to open an old door!!” . His 520 pound squat and 560 pound deadlift would make most lifters days, however, this was a ‘down’ day for him. Regardless, it was enough to win by 175 points on the formula.
Monster Garage Meet Participants: left - Drew Traub, right - Felix Rodriguez
As a side note, I want to mention our loaders. Mike Tullis (who was a subjunior world team member) and his running buddy, Jon Clark (who was selected to be on the world subjunior team but subsequently passed up that opportunity to ‘walk on’ as a player at the University of Louisville, where he is today) spent the competition loading for their friends and adding good stories and commentary at the ‘after glow’. These were great kids to be around, indeed!! Although this meet was touted as a ‘record breakers’, I think the days lifting damped spirits for any further lifting as only four USAWA records fell; two by the youngster and two by the ole man.
Plans are already being made for next year’s version of the Monster Garage Powerlifting Meet. the last weekend in April will be the permanent date. We are looking for this meet to be much bigger by then!!
Good friends, great lifting and superb food/drink - what could be better!? Plan NOW to attend next year!! YOU WON’T BE SORRY!
SEE BELOW FOR TOTALS AND PLACINGS
Monster Garage Powerlifting Meet Georgetown, Indiana April 30th, 2011
MEET DIRECTOR: Larry Traub and the Ledaig Heavy Athletics
LIFTS CONTESTED: Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift
OFFICIAL (1-Official System Used): Dave Glasgow
RESULTS:
Lifter Age BWT BP SQ DL Total Points
Larry Traub 57 92.0 290 520 560 1370 1433.0
Blake Dedas 26 100.0 355 545 585 1485 1257.9
Adam Roth 18 58.8 205 320 405 930 1129.3
Felix 21 75.0 255 360 455 1070 1070.0 Rodriquez
Tyler Baines 23 64.5 235 300 400 935 1033.5
Drew Traub 27 128.8 310 525 550 1385 1032.2 Bob Bonifacio 30 118.5 205 365 430 1000 776.5
NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in kilograms. All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted in pounds. Points is adjusted points for bodyweight correction and age allowance.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Atomic Athletic
May 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
This is the logo for Atomic Athletic.
I was very excited when Roger LaPointe, owner and operator of Atomic Athletic in Bowling Green, Ohio, contacted me about promoting a USAWA competition in conjunction with his Great Black Swamp Olde-Time Strongman Picnic. This event has been an annual event at Atomic Athletic for several years, and draws in lots of people interested in all aspects of strength. I really wish I would have been able to attend this event on May 14th, but I had previously made another commitment on this date. So I’ll have to miss it this year – but hopefully, Roger will sanction another USAWA event next year and I can make it!!
Now for a little more on Roger’s company – Atomic Athletic. Atomic Athletic sells a full line of strength related products, and caters to the serious weightlifter. Atomic Athletic has an outstanding website (atomicathletic.com). Check it out – and you will be surprised how comprehensive it is in regards to product selections. You can buy high quality weightlifting bars, premium weightlifting plates, and about any piece of equipment you might want. He also sells DVD’s, books and training courses, and even gym charts! My favorite sections are the “Retro Strength” and “Classic Gym Equipment”. These two areas have stuff like this for sale - kettlebells, lifting harnesses, iron boots, Indian clubs, sledgehammers, block weights, and heavy bars. Atomic Athletic is the only company that I know of that sells a heavy lift bar.
Atomic Athletic has the full endorsement of the USAWA! And because of this – Atomic Athletic has been added to the commercial links on the USAWA Website.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Blob
May 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Scott "THE ENFORCER" Tully demonstates a pinch grip lift of two 50 pound blobs, one in each hand!!
A very popular gripping device that originated in the mid 1990’s was the Blob. Initially, the term “the blob” referred to only the 50 pound end of a York 100 lb. dumbbell (the heaviest dumbbell from the casting), but since then has been applied to all weights of these York dumbbell ends. The dumbbell in question is the York Dumbbell design from the 1970’s where the ends are round with sloping sides - a shape much like a hockey puck. The preferred method of lifting a blob is to use a one hand pinch grip. The sloping sides add to the difficulty of maintaining a hold. In the Dino Gym, we have a “complete set” of York Blobs – from 20 pounds to 50 pounds in 2.5 pound intervals. Often, challenges arise and we will start with the smaller ones and work our way up. I’m usually in “this game” until we get to the 40-42,5 pounder, and then I have to bow out. Darren and Scott always win, as both have picked up the 50 pound blob many times. One hand pinch lifting a 50# blob is considered the ultimate accomplishment. It takes someone with an exceptional pinch grip to be able to accomplish this. The “pure way” of lifting them is without chalk – and using tacky is forbidden!!
Around 2005, York discountined the production of this dumbbell style for awhile. It made those that had York Blobs worth alot! I remember watching ebay and seeing some of the prices paid for York Blobs. For a while, one of these York Dumbbells was worth more as two blobs than an intact dumbbell!! You gotta say the grip guys can be quite the fanatics! I know lots of hard-core weightlifting collectors didn’t like to see a collector dumbbell like these getting cut up into two pieces!! It wasn’t long after this and these dumbbells were manufactured again using the original foundry casting, and in return, the value of blobs came back down to an affordable rate. They are now sold under the “Legacy Line” of York products.
Link to York Barbell Website - www.yorkbarbell.com
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Outdoor Lifting: Time for Fresh AIR!
May 12, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Phil Jackson lifting outdoors at the old JWC club by Thom Van Vleck
I have a photo album full of old photos of the Jackson Weightlifting club in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Many of the photos, maybe even more than half, are taken outdoors. Back then, there was a very practical reason for lifting outside in the summer time….NO AIR CONDITIONING! My Uncle’s told me they built a platform outdoors so they could get some fresh air and keep cool. The JWC gym moved around several times and often was in an old unairconditioned building. One of the favorite places of my Uncle Wayne of gym locations was on Jefferson Street near the old Kirksville Railroad Depot. Wayne said they rented an old store and they would lift in the store front during the winter. There were large plate glass windows open to the street with a potbelly wood stove for heat and in the summer they would move the weights out back and lift right under the down town Water Tower. The Water tower is still there but the store is long gone. Sadly, not a single picture exists of the gym from that time. Just the many great stories….including one of how my Aunt Linda would walk by there every day going home from work and see Wayne lifting…..and now they have been together for over 40 years! She would stop and watch them workout with other girls…..she must have been impressed. My Uncle Phil told me that lifting outside was also a benefit in other ways besides a cool breeze. The bright sunshine helped get rid of the winter blues come spring and the fact that girls might walk by just motivated them to lift a little harder! It might be a hassle to move the weights outdoors, but I think you’ll find a little lifting on a sunshiny day will boost your motivation and be a nice change of pace.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
USAWA Nationals: UPDATE
May 13, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Private room at the Dukum Inn. This is where the banquet will happen after Nationals
Just an update on the USAWA Nationals. I have ordered shirts. They are POLO type shirts – so better than your standard meet t-shirt! They will have a stitched USAWA Nationals 2011 patch on them. I have also ordered the awards. These are like none you have ever received and I will be putting up a photo at a later time showing them. Al Myer’s will be bringing his top notch equipment for the meet supplemented by my own. If you ever wanted to lift on a set of York Hub plates or Jackson International Barbell plates, we will be using them in the meet!
I have recently confirmed reservations at the Armory and the Dukum Inn. I recently attended a private party there and I was more than pleased. The bar in the private room was built in 1938 and was the original bar that used to be downstairs. There is a stage area opposite the bar that will offer a really nice podium for our awards ceremony. You can see a big screen behind the bar and during the banquet we will scroll pictures of past and present USAWA meets and legends. I highly recommend the onion rings at the Dukum….they are the best!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
THE IRON MISTRESS
May 16, 2011 | Authored by Dave Glasgow | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
DAVE GLASGOW SPENDING A LITTLE PLAY TIME WITH HIS "IRON MISTRESS"
I ALWAYS ENJOY MY TRIPS TO INDIANA. IT NEVER FAILS TO CHARGE MY BATTERY JUST SPENDING TIME WITH MY BUDDY, LARRY (FLOYD) TRAUB. DURING MY RECENT TRIP TO OFFICIATE THE USAWA SANCTIONED POWER MEET THERE, LARRY MADE A COMMENT THAT I CHEWED ON ALL THE WAY HOME. HERE IS SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT COMMENT.
I MADE MENTION OF THE COMMENT ON LARRY’S ‘CREAKING’ SHOULDER (SEE ‘POWER IN SOUTHERN INDIANA’ ON THIS WEB PAGE). ONE OF THE KIDS ASKED HIM IF HIS SHOULDER HURT WHEN HE BENCHED, TO WHICH HE SIMPLY SAID, “YES.” A LITTLE WHILE LATER, I SAID TO HIM, “DAMN IT, FLOYD, I TOLD YOU YEARS AGO TO QUIT BENCHIN’.” HE GRINNED, SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AND SAID, “IT’S WHAT I DO!”
EXACTLY RIGHT. IT’S WHAT HE, AND ALL OF US “DO”. I UNDERSTOOD INSTANTLY WHAT HE WAS SAYING. PAIN, INJURY, INCONVENIENCE, … YOU NAME IT. WE FIND A WAY TO GET AROUND IT. BECAUSE ‘NOT’ LIFTING IS NEVER AN OPTION. IT’S A LOT LIKE THAT GIRL YOU USED TO GO OUT WITH. YOU KNOW THAT SHE’S NO GOOD FOR YOU, AND SHE WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK YOUR HEART. HOWEVER, YOU CONTINUE TO SPEND TIME WITH, AND MONEY ON, HER. TRY AS YOU MAY, YOU CAN NEVER END THE ONE WAY AFFAIR. THERE IS NOT ONE OF US THAT HAS NOT MADE CONCESSIONS SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS WE LOVE. IT’S AN INDESCRIBABLE PULL, URGE, CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL. BUT, IT JUST WILL NOT GO AWAY. I AM NOT SURE IT SHOULD EVER GO AWAY.
WELL, GOTTA GO. THE MISTRESS IS CALLING. HEY, IT’S WHAT I DO, TOO!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
USAWA Nationals: The AWARDS
May 17, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Special awards for the USAWA Nationals for 2011 (purchased at pjtool.com) by Thom Van Vleck
The USAWA Nationals for this year will have a unique award for the participants. The Jackson Weightlifting Club (JWC) had long been defined by Grandpa Jackson’s Anvil. For the last few years I have used these real anvils for awards. Each award will come with a CUSTOMIZED plaque engraved by a Jim Spalding (Jim’s Gems) who is a local jeweler and also happens to be a 6 time Masters World Champion in Highland Games. When the results are tabulated, we will write down you address and send you an engraved plate that will fit on the award with your placing and name. How many personalized awards do you have in you trophy case? I bet not many! There will also be an 11lb Anvil for the overall best lifter. Again, it’s a REAL anvil.
The “Original” JWC anvil will be present as well and used in the strongman show at the awards banquet. We will take it outside and give anyone who wants a crack at lifting the anvil like Grandpa Jackson used to from the ground to overhead. It is a 150lb Anvil and it’s very “doable”! The real challenge is to lift it by the horn with one hand, pinch grip it by top or lift it by the neck.
Grandpa Jackson's Anvil - The Centerpiece of the Jackson Weightlifting Club
I will also have a 300lb anvil present….This is the MONSTER that so far has defied all who have tried to lift it overhead. I want to see someone put that thing overhead! But at the least, We will have the Whiskey Barrel there and the challenge is to lift the anvil onto the whiskey barrel. Come on out, the USAWA Nationals will be more than just lifting weights…..we will try and make some history!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Nomination Time!
May 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The USAWA Awards Program was established last year with the first award winners being recognized at the 2010 USAWA National Meeting. Well, it is time to make nominations for this years’ candidates. The rules of this are the same as last year.
You must be a USAWA member to make a nomination or cast a vote
Nominated individuals must be a USAWA members to be eligible
Only one individual may be nominated per person per award
The awards are for the calendar year 2010
An individual may be nominated for more than one award
Athlete of the Year – This award is for the individual who has accomplished the most athletically within the last year in the USAWA. Top placings at the Nationals and World Championships should figure in high. Also, participation in other National Competitions such as the Heavy Event Nationals or Team Nationals could factor in, along with the Gold Cup.
Leadership Award – This is for an individual that has shown exceptional leadership qualities within the USAWA during the past year. Things that should be looked at are: going above the level expected of an Officer position, promoting sanctioned events with emphasis being on promoting National or World Competitions, promoting the USAWA by developing a strong club, writing articles for publications about the USAWA, or through other means.
Sportsmanship Award – This goes to an individual who possesses and shows great sportsmanship within the USAWA. The act of sportsmanship may be by conduct at all events, or by an specific example of exceptional sportsmanship.
Courage Award – This goes to an individual who shows the courage to overcome an obstacle in order to return to competition. This may be a comeback from an injury, or just having to deal with difficult personal issues but still shows the courage to compete in the USAWA. Newcomer Award– This award goes to an individual who in new to the USAWA or has become involved again. It doesn’t have to go to someone in their first year of being involved in the USAWA.
Please send your nominations to me (at [email protected]) by June 1st. All nominations will be kept confidential. The awards will be presented in conjunction with the awards ceremony at the USAWA National Championships in Kirksville, MO on June 25th.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
York Barbell, here we come!
May 19, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The event we have been waiting for a long time is almost here! Mike Locondro, retail manager of York Barbell, has put LOTS of work and effort into this historic event. We are very fortunate to be able to share in this event by having our Heavy Lift Nationals in conjunction with it. Mike has made it clear that this may become an annual affair, and plans to continue the tradition that Bob Hoffman started many years ago of hosting an annual York Picnic that drew in lifters and spectators alike that wanted to share in the experience of celebrating a day of enjoyment centered around York and all types of strength feats.
The official name for this function is the “Wounded Warrior Kettlebell Benefit and Strength Festival”. Mike Krivka will be teaching and conducting a RKC Kettlebell workshop throughout the day. There will also be crossfit demos and bending demos. Other contests of strength will be contested throughout the day. I have heard there might be a 2″ bar lift competition - I might have to enter that one! There will also be lots of raffles. Steve Stanko’s daughter has donated some of her Dad’s personal equipment to be sold in a silent auction with proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project benefit. So bring along extra money!!! You may want to take part in some of the special auctions. Mike has told me that because of this charity benefit, several members of our armed forces will be in attendance.
The highlight of the day will be the York Hall of Fame Induction of Slim the Hammerman. What an opportunity to get your picture taken with a strength legend! Now on top of this, Mike has said that Joe “the Mighty Atom” Greenstein will also be inducted into the York Hall of Fame. Things just keep getting better! I know, without a doubt, that this day will go down in USAWA history as a day we will never forget. I’m sure the attendance will include a “who’s who” of the strength world. See everyone there!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
York Barbell Shirts
May 20, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Gene Thudium, JWC member in the 50's and 60's, sports his old school York Barbell T-shirt.
I don’t know about you, but I have received about 300 meet shirts in the last 30 years. Probably 200 I competed in, the rest I was a judge, loader, spotter, scorekeeper, patron, or meet director. I know how many because every few years I thin them out and keep the ones that have sentimental value in a special drawer, give away some, and keep the rest for workouts. Some shirts become “lucky”…I have a good meet or workout in it and I then use it when I need some “mojo” for a contest or record day. Some, a select few, get retired and are never worn again. The ones I give away go to good homes, guys who are really into the lifting or throwing and really appreciate the shirts. I gave a fellow highland gamer 75 shirts and he made it into a quilt that was pretty cool and he hung it in his living room. I can go over and point to different designs and almost tell you how I placed, my throws, and even what the weather was like that day.
Recently, Al and I traveled to Colorado and met with Russ Murphy, a highland games legend. I got some really old meet shirts from him, about a dozen or so that go back 20 to 30 years. He even had one that was from the first meet I ever competed in, in 1995. Mine had been “retired” so I got his and now I have one I can wear, too. Years ago, World Powerlifting Champ and the man that broke Kaz’s total record, John Ware, gave me a shirt he wore when he broke Kaz’s record. I kinda felt like the kid in the Coke commercial getting the jersey from Mean Joe Greene.
Shirts can be pretty special. Today some of us will be heading to York Barbell for the USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals this weekend. I can’t wait to get there. I also know that Al has designed the meet shirts using the York Barbell logo. I have a feeling this trip will be epic in many ways, mostly me traveling to the “mecca” of weightlifting for the first time in my life! I remember seeing many photos of Gene in his York Barbell shirt and thinking I would like to have one….now I will and it will be pretty special. But I wonder, will this shirt become a retired one, or a lucky shirt, or will I give it away…..only time will tell.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Awards as Motivation
May 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
This is part of the collection of awards present in Clark's Gym.
I have been in numerous club gyms, and one thing that sets them apart from commercial “chrome and fern” gyms is that there is always an abundance of old trophies, medals, plaques and award certificates hanging around. Some of these places have awards that are over 30 years old! Yet, they still bask in their glory of being visible for all gym members to see, as the day they were shiny new. I always marvel at these old awards, and take the time to check all of them out. I wonder, “who won this one?, and “what competition did this one come from?”. This is a sight full of mystery, but at the same time gives you the burning desire of motivation. Anyone who has won an award knows the satisfaction that it brings, and not because of the hardware itself, but the hard work that goes into earning it. The time in the gym pushing those extra sets, and the commitment and sacrifice training time takes away from the rest of your life. If it was just the trophy that gave you this fulfillment – go out and buy yourself a big trophy and put wording on it proclaiming yourself the greatest weightlifter of all time!! I assure you – that award would not mean near as much as the tiny certificate that you won the day you had a personal record lift.
In the Dino Gym I have a large collection of old weightlifting, strongman, and Highland games awards placed on a mantel overlooking the gym. This mantel runs the entire width of the gym – 40 feet. Most awards are “double stacked” on this shelf. I haven’t counted them but it has to be well over 100 trophies. The funny thing is that I have at least that many in boxes in the attic! When the mantel was full, I had to call it good. When I first put up this trophy mantel, my wife referred to it as “my shrine” to myself. I tried to let it slide, but her comment really hurt my feelings (even to this day and that has been a dozen years ago!). That was not my intention. I wanted to have a gym that any lifter would take serious when they enter the doors. I wanted us to not just “talk the talk, but walk the walk”. Displaying hard-earned awards shows a gym newcomer that we are serious about what we do – and that we have the proof to back up what our training is all about.
The trophy case in the Ambridge Barbell Club.
Most all of the other USAWA Clubs have a “trophy wall” as well. Last November at the Gold Cup, Frank Ciavattone took me down into his basement which holds Franks Barbell Club. I was overwhelmed by his collection of trophies and such. Just a quick glance at this, and ANYONE would know that Frank was a Champion. As we browsed through things, Frank had a story on each award. To him – these trophies were mementos that held a collection of memories from the competitions he has been in. I have been to the historic Ambridge BBC a few times now, and each time I spend a little time looking over their collection. Their collection is a lesson in weightlifting history – some awards date back 40-50 years. The JWC Training Hall has many very unique awards. Thom has on display some awards that were won by previous JWC members. Truly a compliment to those that had a significant part of the JWC history. Clark’s Gym is another gym that has a great display of awards that is rich in history. As you look over Clark’s Gym extensive collection of awards, it is a true inspiration. I could go on with several other examples like these. The point I want to leave you with is that it is not egotistical to display awards if done for the right reasons. If it motivates one young kid to change their life by forming a commitment to training and physical fitness that keeps them out of trouble, it is worthwhile! But now I gotta go – it’s time to polish my shrine!!! (haha – THAT’S A JOKE!!)
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Black Swamp Meet
May 26, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
(WEBMASTER’S NOTE: The following was taken with permission from Andrew Durniat’s blog covering the Atomic Athletic Olde Time Strongman Picnic and USAWA Black Swamp Meet. Congrats to Andrew and his record lift in the One Arm Deadlift!) by Andrew Durniat
Andrew Durniat and his record setting lift in the One Arm Deadlift (519 pounds).
It was a good day to lift this past Saturday, May 14 while in Bowling Green, Ohio. It was here at the Atomic Athletic Olde Time Strongman Picnic and US All-Round Weightlifting Association (USAWA) meet that I set the single arm deadlift record. My lift of 235.5kg (518.1 lbs.) on my left arm bested Steve Angell of Britain previous record of 219kg (479.6 lbs.). The running joke at the Durniat household leading up this event was; ‘there’s my problem, I just didn’t have a world record scheduled on my calender.’ You see, when Atomic Athletic approached me about this event, they did so asking me to break a world record. I then put a plan together and executed it perfectly.
The next time a challenge is presented to you, just schedule it in writing on your calender. Put together a plan and take action. You’ll be setting records in no time.
YouTube Video of Andrew’s Record One Arm Deadlift
MEET RESULTS:
Black Swamp Meet Bowling Green, OH May 14th, 2011
Meet Director: Roger LaPointe and Atomic Athletic
Lifts: Deadlift – One Arm, Clean and Push Press
Officials: Denny Habecker and Scott Schmidt
(All lifts besides Habecker’s and Schmidt’s were passed with 2 whites using the 3- Offical system and are eligible for IAWA World Records. Habecker and Schmidt were officiated using the 1-Official System and their lifts are only eligible for USAWA records)
Lifter Age BWT DL- C&PP Total Points 1arm
Andrew Durniat 32 103.1 228-L 105 333 277.6
Chris Rice 62 94.7 138-R 75 213 228.6
Denny Habecker 68 87.5 120-R 70 190 223.5
Michael Rogowski 25 78.6 135-R 95 230 223.4
Scott Schmidt 58 113.3 136-R 85 221 208.8
Tom Montague- 14 121.0 55-R 60 115 106.0 Casillas
NOTES: BWT is bodyweight recorded in kilograms. Lifts recorded in kilograms. Total is total kilograms lifted. Points is adjusted points for age correction and bodyweight adjustment. )
Extra lifts for record:
Andrew Durniat – 235.5 kgs One Arm Deadlift, Left Denny Habecker – 125 kgs One Arm Deadlift, Right Chris Rice – 138 kgs One Arm Deadlift, Left
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Chad’s 900 Pound Neck Lift
May 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Chad Ullom set the ALL-TIME World Record in the Neck Lift with a lift of 900 pounds at the 2011 Heavy Lift Championships. Take notice that you can see light under both ends of the weights in this picture. Last weekend at the Heavy Lift Nationals in York, PA, Chad Ullom did what I would classify as one of the most outstanding feats of strength I have ever seen in the USAWA. Chad set the ALL-TIME WORLD RECORD in the Neck Lift with an unbelievable lift of 900 pounds. The previous World Record was held by Joe Ciavattone set at the 2005 Heavy Lift Nationals. In March, Chad showed everyone that he had the potential to break this record as he took an extra attempt and made a 750 pound lift with ease at the USAWA Club Challenge in Ambridge. What made this record even more spectacular was that he broke the prevous World Record THREE TIMES in the competition. His second attempt was 810, followed by a third attempt at 850, and ending with his historic 900 pound lift. Often with heavy lifts, there is always speculation about the authenticity of the lift due to the nature of these type of lifts. Heavy lifts only need to clear the platform to be legal and if someone doesn’t have the right angle to view this, often people will feel like the lift didn’t clear adequately. However, Chad’s lift was lifted so high there was no doubt among anyone in attendance. The judging crew did an outstanding job in officiating this lift. They didn’t get “caught up in the excitement” and they made sure Chad had to hold it at lockout the same as all other lifts of the meet.
What made this record even more special was the the largest crowd of spectators we had were present to watch it happen. I was trying to “fire up the crowd” about what they were about to see, and I could tell many were in disbelief when it happened! I knew before this meet that Chad had the potential to make this happen. We trained together on the Neck Lift a couple of weeks prior and he made an easy 800 pound lift in training. We actually considered having him open at the record, as he did this training lift as easy as an opener. But after thinking about it for awhile, we decided a 700 pound opener would set him up better. If you pick your attempts correctly, the first attempt shouldn’t matter anyways.
After the record lift, Chad was "all smiles" as he posed with the record loaded heavy bar.
It is always a big thing to be the first person to break a barrier – and I consider this a major barrier. Let me give you a little history on the Neck Lift. Steve Schmidt was the first man to break the 400 pound and 500 pound barrier in the Neck Lift. An English lifter, Adrian Blindt, was the first person to Neck Lift over 600 pounds. Frank Ciavattone was the first American to Neck Lift over 600 pounds, with his lift of 603 pounds at the 1990 Strongest Man in New England. Joe Ciavattone was the first man to Neck Lift over 700 pounds and 800 pounds. And now Chad becomes the first man to Neck Lift over 900 pounds!!! It makes you wonder who will be the first one to go over half a ton – or 1000 pounds!
I have always considered 600 pounds as the “mark to hit” if you want to be in the elite club of Neck Lifters. To date, there have been only 10 individuals who have done this or more in USAWA competition.
USAWA Members in the “600 Club” for Neck Lifts over 600 pounds
LIFTER WEIGHT MEET LIFTED Chad Ullom 900 2011 Heavy Lift Championships
Joe Ciavattone 804 2005 Heavy Lift Championships
Frank 750 2002 Heavy Lift Ciavattone Championships
Al Myers 750 2011 Club Challenge
Mike McBride 630 2005 National Championships
Jeff Ciavattone 625 2002 Heavy Lift Championships
Joe Garcia 623 1998 National Championships
Dale Friesz 605 1995 Goerner Deadlift
Nils Larson 603 2004 Heavy Lift Championships
John Monk 600 2000 Heavy Lift Championships
Congratulations to Chad on this amazing new record!
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Tags:
Heavy Lift Nationals
May 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET RESULTS HEAVY LIFT NATIONALS
Group picture from the 2011 USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals. (front row left to right): Denny Habecker, Chad Ullom, James Fuller, Al Myers (back row left to right): Thom Van Vleck, Joe Garcia, Scott Schmidt, Randy Smith, Dennis Mitchell, LaVerne Myers (not pictured): Art Montini, Kohl Hess
Last weekend was a weekend I had been looking forward to for a long time! Mike Locondro, of York Barbell, had graciously invited us to be part of special day at York Barbell that included the York Hall of Fame induction of Slim “The Hammerman” Farman. The days festivities included many functions, and our meet was just a small part of the things going on. This report will only cover the Heavy Lift Nationals. I’m sure the other activities and special events will be covered in future USAWA Daily News stories – so I’ll save those for that time.
Due to this meet being contested at the “mecca” of weightlifting York Barbell, we had the largest turnout of lifters for a Heavy Lift Nationals in a long time. The attendees included some old veterans (Art Montini and Dennis Mitchell), some experienced Heavy Lifters (myself, Chad Ullom, Scott Schmidt, and Joe Garcia), as well as some newcomers to the Heavy Lift Nationals (James Fuller, Randy Smith and Kohl Hess). The judging crew was as good as it gets. These guys took their job serious and looked the part of competent officials as they were all dressed in the new USAWA Officials Shirts with black slacks. Our USAWA President Denny Habecker served as head judge and did an excellent job. Every lift was held for a count with a down command. All lifts were required to “become motionless” as the rules require before the down command was given. I don’t even recall a questionable lift being passed. Thom Van Vleck served as one of the side judges and seemed very focused on his duties all day. LaVerne Myers, my father and recent new USAWA Official, made his judging debut and looked the part of an old seasoned judge. These guys didn’t just sit in the chairs half asleep, but instead, got down on the floor to make sure the weights cleared the platform.
The officials at this meet were dressed in official judging attire. I felt their professional appearance provided a positive reflection on the USAWA. (left to right): LaVerne Myers, Denny Habecker, and Thom Van Vleck
Now on to the lifting! The first lift contested was the Neck Lift. The expectations were high for Chad Ullom, as he just recently did a 750 pound lift at the Club Challenge in Ambridge. Let me tell ya – he didn’t disappoint anyone! He opened with an easy 700 pound opener, and then jumped to an ALL-TIME WORLD RECORD lift of 810 pounds. He made it with ease. At this point, the largest crowd of the day that were watching our meet had gathered. For his third attempt he went for 850 pounds. It looked as easy as his opener. I was doing my best to get the crowd “fired up”. It didn’t take much prodding to get Chad to take a shot at 900 pounds, which is more than 90 pounds more than anyone had ever done in history. Chad didn’t waste any time in getting to it and made HISTORY by becoming the first man to ever Neck Lift over 900 pounds. And with this, broke the previous record THREE TIMES in one day. This amazing lift made quite the impression on several of those in attendance, as throughout the rest of the day he was receiving congratulations on his record lift. I’m tremendously happy for Chad and this record. There was no question on it being a good lift (I have a picture showing the weight off the platform and evidence recorded on video). It marked a great start of the day.
Following the Neck Lift, we were scheduled to take a break for the Hall of Fame Inductions and other performances on the main stage. This added to the difficulty of this meet. We had to constantly ”warm up” again for the next lifts as we had to take breaks throughout the day. The next lift was the Hand and Thigh. Joe Garcia showed everyone that he is still “King of the Hand and Thigh” by putting up the meet best lift of 1400 pounds. I was next in line with a 1300 pound lift, followed by Chad’s 1250. The last lift of the day was the Hip Lift. By this time, Joe had pretty much sealed the victory and the battle was for second place between Chad and myself. Chad has really progressed in the Heavy Lifts, and put up a 1800 which is a personal best. I managed a 1900 pound Hip Lift on my last lift to edge him out for second place overall. The interesting thing is that Chad, Joe and me all tied in total poundage with 3900 pound totals. But when the age and bodyweight corrections were made, Joe won fairly easily. I consider Joe one of the “top 3″ heavy lifters in USAWA History, and he proved it again at York.
There are several other lifters I would like to mention. What more can be said about Art Montini?? He makes all of his lifts look easy and you just have to scratch your head in disbelieve at the amount of weight he lifts at his age. He doesn’t seem to age, as his lifts are always as good as the year before. Dennis Mitchell was solid in everything. He does his Hip Lifts facing the bar (instead of straddling it), but uses this technique to his advantage. James Fuller made his first USAWA appearance, and what a trooper he is! This is not the best choice of a meet for your first outing in the USAWA, but James fit right in with the rest of us and with a little more specific training on these lifts he will be a force to be reckoned with. Randy Smith made the trip from Michigan with Helen and has showed tremendous improvement in the Heavy Lifts. Randy is now equipped with all the Heavy Lift Equipment, and I could tell his training had paid off. Scott Schmidt was a steady as ever. I know he was nursing a sore knee that held him back a little, but not once during the day did I hear him complain about it. Things like that impress me. He was there to support the event even when he wasn’t 100 percent. Scott has the spirit of a Champion, and every lifter has the utmost respect for him. After the meet was over, David “The Iron Tamer” Whitley from Nashville, TN, came over and signed up for the USAWA. David wanted to try for a record in the USAWA, and when I asked him what lift he wanted to do, he replied, “the bent press”. I was somewhat surprised as this is not an easy lift to do. But once David started his attempts it was clear to me that he had trained it before. His technique was picture-perfect, and even Bob Hoffman himself would have given it his seal of approvement. David went on to set the ALL-TIME best Bent Press with both arms with lifts of 137 pounds. I hope to see him again soon in the USAWA.
This event would never have happened if it was not for York Retail Manager Mike Locondro. Mike organized the entire event and even put on his suit to serve as the Master of Ceremony!
This meet turned out better than I expected. All lifters received beautiful awards for their Championship efforts. The meet T-Shirts were very special. The front of the shirts contained a picture of USAWA Heavy Lift Legend Dale Friesz performing a heavy Neck Lift. Dale was not able to be in attendance, but he deserves a big THANK YOU from all of us for providing the intial inspiration for making this event happen. His initial contact with York Barbell is what led to our involvement on this special day. Mike Locondro has already made his intentions known that he will be hosting this event next year, and in the process has extended another invitation to us. So – Heavy Lift Nationals may be held in York again next year. Put it on your calendar now!!!
MEET RESULTS: 2011 Heavy Lift Nationals York Barbell, York, PA May 21st, 2011
Meet Director: USAWA Executive Board
Lifts: Neck Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, Hip Lift
Officials: Denny Habecker, Thom Van Vleck, LaVerne Myers
Lifter Age BWT Neck H&T Hip Total Points
Joe Garcia 57 212 600 1400 1900 3900 3981.2
Al Myers 44 252 700 1300 1900 3900 3236.7
Chad Ullom 39 244 850 1250 1800 3900 3132.9
Scott Schmidt 58 251 350 1000 1400 2750 2589.9
Randy Smith 56 194 400 850 1000 2250 2390.0
Art Montini 83 184 250 450 800 1500 2024.1
Dennis 79 158 250 425 600 1275 1838.4 Mitchell
James Fuller 39 217 350 700 1000 2050 1751.7
Kohl Hess 16 297 400 0 0 400 320.9
NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in pounds. All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points is adjusted points for age correction and bodyweight adjustment.
EXTRA LIFTS FOR RECORD:
Chad Ullom – Neck Lift: 900 pounds David Whitley – Bent Press, Left Arm: 137 pounds David Whitley – Bent Press, Right Arm: 137 pounds (Age 41 years, bodyweight 284 pounds) Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
The Long Journey To York Barbell: Part I
May 29, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Thom Van Vleck completes the 73 year journey to York Barbell
Recently I traveled to York, Pa to the home of York Barbell to judge at the USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals. This, however, is not a meet report but a story about a Long Journey.
Back in 1938 my Grandfather ordered his first “real” barbell set. Oh, sure, he had been training for along time before this, since 1928 to be exact, but it was at this point he finally could afford a real barbell set to replace the bodyweight exercises, the concrete “bucket” weights, and the assorted things like anvils he would find to train with. By that time he was married and I recall he had a real fight with my grandmother over ordering that set since they were short on cash. But it was his dream. I still have what is part of that set.
Then, in 1957, my Uncle’s Phil and Wayne began to train and scrimped and saved until they could order a real “Olympic” set. There was other choice but York! This was the classic deep dish York set. At that time, Wayne and Phil became avid Olympic style lifting fans and at that time York Barbell was the center of it all. When I started training, in 1977, my Uncle Wayne bought a new set to encourage me. I remember vividly him ordering it with a mail order form and a check. I’m pretty sure he wanted it as much as I did and it was just a good excuse to order a new set!
I have a few hundred Strength & Health and Muscular Development magazines that were published by York Barbell. I’m not a collector, most are the magazines that my grandfather and Uncles bought off the news stand to read. I would read these for countless hours as a kid when I started training and as a result, probably know more about York Barbell than all the people who currently work there!
So, when Al asked me to come along and be a judge, I pushed aside a chance to go to Iceland and compete in a highland games and chose to go to York. You see, even though my family had been “York Men” since 1938, NOBODY from my family had ever been there!
So, here it was, 73 years after that first York barbell set was mail ordered by my grandfather and I was on my way to York. I was pretty excited but at the same time, I was realistic. I knew it was not what it was in the glory days. But I hoped it would still be a great trip.
We arrived the morning of the contest and pulled up out front. There was Bob Hoffman’s statue standing as proud as ever. My grandfather used to tell me that Bob was “a little full of himself” and I had to chuckle as I looked at the statue. Most accomplished men are a little full of themselves. It often takes a big ego to drive great success. I wish I could have met the guy, big ego aside, he did much for lifting and made America quite literally….a lot stronger.
The life size barbell mobile hanging in the York Barbell HQ....is that thing real!!!!
Soon, we went inside. There was a large “Barbell Mobile” hanging from the ceiling. Barbell plates and bars balanced from a single point from the ceiling. Not sure if they were real….but if they were that’s a lot of weight hanging there! Then to the right was a lifting auditorium where the hall of fame induction took place. I walked through and into the gym area. It was loaded with platforms and weights, much more modern than I expected but then again, this is not the “original” club where the “York Gang” trained. That place was long gone and while we drove by the location, nothing remains of it downtown.
The York lifting auditorium
Next, I walked through the museum. I won’t detail all of it, but while what was there was very cool, it was not as big as I expected, but still not a let down. What was there oozed history. I would detour through the museum many times while I was there, taking just a minute to look at something else I had missed. I then went into the retail store, that was nice, again not as big as I expected but it had “one of everything”. While there I picked up matching York Barbell shirts with the old style split jerk logo for me and my Uncle Wayne. I took tons of photos so that later I could show Wayne and Phil a “virtual” tour of the place. I didn’t go anywhere else, but looked around at the warehouse. The foundry is gone, they don’t make anything on site anymore. Later, we also traveled by Bob Hoffman’s old house as the sun set on my York trip and we called it a day. Next: Part II My feelings about my Trip.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Long Journey to York Barbell: Part II
May 30, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
In part I of my story about my trip to York Barbell and I detailed my trip. Now, I’m going to share my feelings about my trip.
The current York Gym
May 28th, 1064 was the date of the Missouri State Championships in Olympic lifting. How do I know? Because my Uncle Wayne won that year and he told me that when he got home with the rest of the JWC gang he said I upstaged him being born that day. He said they all headed down to the hospital to see me. It was literally a couple blocks away. Later, he would give me that medal because of the significance of the date he won it. Without Wayne, I’d never been a weight lifter and I would not be half of what I am today. Without my Uncle Phil, you could halve that again and without my Grandfather Dalton, I’d be nothing today. So me wearing that medal was like them being there at York with me. That medal has been to every lifting meet, highland games, strongman contest, and USAWA event I’ve ever been to, including a couple trips to Scotland where I “dipped” it into Loch Ness.
So, you can see, lifting has been a big part of my family. It’s not about winning, it was always about getting better. Being stronger, healthier, and self improvement. York Barbell was always a part of that. I practically “teethed” on a 5lb plate. I remember taking an interest in throwing the discus and not having one, so I took a 5lb York plate out and practiced with it! In 1963, my Uncle Wayne ordered a Jackson International set and he told me that he sold it partly out of feeling disloyal to York….plus he said his York sets (and the JWC had several by then) were superior in his mind.
Thom Van Vleck checking out the Cyr Dumbbell. My grandfather told me a story about it when I was just a kid.
But the opportunity never came up to travel to York. Phil told me they talked about it often. They would lift and talk about meeting Tommy Kono, John Grimek, Steve Stanko, Bob Hoffman and the rest. They would day dream of lifting in the York Gym with the greats and seeing where all the weights were made. But time and circumstance intervened and the dream faded away. Until now.
So when I went out, I had a lot riding on this trip. I needed to soak up every detail and take lots of pictures. I even called both of them in the museum and gave each one a walk through. They both asked me if I saw the Sandow Statue or the Grimek statue. They knew a lot of the stuff that was in there!
Thom with the Grimek statue....I don't think he's impressed with me.
Overall, it was a great trip. But later, I did get a little melancholy. York is well past it’s pinnacle. But then again, I remember stopping at Peary Radar’s old Ironman Headquarters in Alliance, Nebraska a few years back. It’s all long gone and not a thing remains as is the fate of a lot of the other American barbell makers. At least York Barbell is still there and it seems the guys that work there appreciate the history. Mike Locondro told me that the event we attended (Wounded Warrior Project Strength Fest) was all about getting York back to were it belongs….but more than that he told me that his Uncle was John Grimek’s brother in law and to him it was not just about “company policy” but it was personal. That gave me hope and took a little of that melancholy away. Maybe York isn’t what it was, but it seems to be rising up again!
On a side note, I traveled 15 miles to the west of York and went by the burial place of my Great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather (yes, that’s right….6 “greats”). He was a Lutheran pastor that has been credited with starting over 50 churches. His home still stands and members of my distant family still occupy it. I hope to go back some day and see some more and meet some of my relatives…the dead one’s and live one’s!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Judging at York
May 31, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Joe Garcia had the last lift of the meet at the Heavy Lift Nationals with his successful 1900# Hip Lift. By this time at meets, most officials are "nodding off", hoping to be finished with their obligation. But look at these guys, they are judging like it is the first lift of the day. (officials left to right): LaVerne Myers, Denny Habecker, and Thom Van Vleck
I know I have already mentioned this in a previous story, but I want to reiterate how pleased I was with the officiating at the Heavy Lift Nationals in York. Thom wrote a story about professionalism amongst officials in a Daily News Story a while back, and how in the “old days” officials took their job as officials serious and looked the part of officials at meets by dressing up in suits and ties. Thom had a picture of his Uncle Phil officiating a meet in his suit, of which he changed into after competing in his singlet. You don’t see that at any meets anymore nowadays. In the business workforce, people used to dress up for work as businesses felt it set a positive image for the company. Then along came casual Friday, followed by EVERYDAY becoming casual Friday and dress codes became relaxed or nonexistent. This same thing has happened to the way officials dress at meets. I have been at meets where the officials were dressed in shorts and a ratty t-shirt, which definitely doesn’t send a good message to those watching the meet. It was a great pleasure to be at a meet where the offiicals came to do their job because that is what they wanted to do, and not rely on the lifters judging themselves. I never mind judging at meets I’m competing in as I know it is an important part of contributing to the days event. But it was nice FOR ONCE to have dedicated and committed officials who only job was to make sure that everyone was officiated justly and fairly. We are a small organization and we all are know each other and are good friends, so it is hard not to have personal bias even when we try our best not to. But I have always felt it was a conflict of interest when an lifter is judging another competitor. Even when you make your best call, and in turn have to turn down a bad lift, it may appear that it was turned down for other reasons. At the breakfast table the day of the meet, Thom remarked to my father in jest that it would be best for them to sit at another table away from us lifters. I found this pretty funny, because in the “old days” that is how it was. The officials were “stand offish” to the lifters as not to have any personal relationships with them that might lead to future biased judging. (However, I tried to bribe Thom the night before with free scotch but I don’t think it worked!!).
I hope with our new USAWA Officials Program that the pride of being an official will be restored like it used to be. We have made great progress in our Officials Program and will continue to make improvements to it until it gets where it needs to be. It is not there yet. I hope to someday have ALL of our meets like this one – where the officials show up to just officiate because they WANT to, and in turn get the respect and recognition they deserve.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
National Championships
December 1, 2010 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
THE 2011 USAWA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Al Myers doing a 440 pound Zercher lift in the 2003 USAWA Nationals. The Zercher Lift will be part of the 2011 Nationals to honor the Oldtime Missouri Strongman Ed Zercher.
The 2011 USAWA National Championships will be hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club in Kirksville, Missouri! I have a series of articles planned to keep everyone up to date on this meet so check back often. Here is what we have decided to this point.
Date: June 25th, 2011
Location: Kirksville, Missouri (exact venue to be decided)
Cost: Entry $50 (plus up to date USAWA membership)
Banquet: $25 per couple or $15 per person (Catered by Western’s Meat Market….a local legend for great food)
Awards: Plaques for age group and open winners, medals for all participants, and a special award for the best lifter
Shirts: Shirts will be provided to all entrants (details on design to come….but it will be special). Travel & Lodging: www.Capeair.com (866 CAPE AIR) has daily flights from St. Louis to Kirksville for $49, so you can get from anywhere in the world right to town! There are several motels such as the Budget Host, Holiday Inn Express, Knights Inn, Comfort Inn, Super 8, and Days Inn in Kirksville and just south of town is the Depot Inn in Laplata, Missouri which is next to the Amtrak Station that connects from Chicago and Kansas City. There is another Amtrak station just an hour north that connects to Denver and Chicago and points beyond.
Format: Morning Session and Afternoon Session. Morning Session will begin at 10:00am. Afternoon session will follow with a one hour break after the Morning Session is completed. Morning and Afternoon Sessions will be determined by opening attempts.
Lifts: (performed in this order)
Snatch – Dumbbell, One Arm
Curl – Cheat
Pullover and Push
Continental to Chest – Fulton Bar
Deadlift – 12″ Base
Zercher Lift
I spent a lot of time thinking about these lifts. I wanted to have at least one Fulton Bar lift and at least one Dumbbell lift. I wanted to have a pure power lift (12″ Deadlift) and a pressing movement (Pullover and Push). I wanted to have the Zercher because Ed Zercher is perhaps the best known Old time strongman from Missouri and me being a good ol’ Missouri boy and the fact that my Grandfather- in-law knew and lifted with Ed….well, that was a must! Oh, and what about the Cheat Curl….well….I just like it!!!!
Start making plans and training now!!!
CLICK HERE FOR AN ENTRY FORM – Nationals2011
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Middle Atlantic Postal
March 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT:
2011 Middle Atlantic Open Postal Meet
2011 Middle Atlantic Open Postal
Dates: Between June 1st and June 30th, 2011
Entry form must be postmarked by July 5th, 2011
Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition
Entry Fee: None
Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the Rule Book
Lifts:
Clean and Press – Reverse Grip
Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, One Arm
Continental to Chest and Jerk
For an entry form – Middle Atlantic Open Postal Entry
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Jackson Weightlifting Club Logo
June 1, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
The modern JWC Logo.
The Jackson Weightlifting Club has a history that reaches back to 1928. Like many Clubs and Gyms it has it’s own logo. Above you will see the modern JWC Logo. The modern logo has it’s root to the late 1950’s and is based on one that my Uncle Phil Jackson drew. I have a copy of that drawing, the original drawing is in Phil’s possession.
Copy of the original JWC logo first developed by Phil Jackson in the late 50's
There was a point I wanted to make a standard logo for the modern incarnation of the JWC. After some experimentation, I came up with the modern logo and you will find it painted on the JWC Training Hall wall and it is often used on our meet shirts and other related JWC stuff. In the modern JWC Logo you will find many elements present in the original and a few new things. I used the shield and barbell, just like Uncle Phil did. I used a copy of the York Barbell “deep dish” weights for the “barbell” part of the logo. I felt this appropriate as this was the first Olympic set ever purchased by the JWC (and I still have it!). I used the same shield but got rid of the small barbell plate at the middle point. I kept the JWC on the diagonal and added a couple elements. A lot of thought actually went into this.
First, I added the cross. A Celtic style cross to celebrate the Celtic roots of the Jackson family. But more importantly to signify our Christianity. My family has always been strong in their faith and that is most notable in the fact that the modern JWC has an evangelism team that has done well over 200 strongman evangelism shows in the spirit of how Paul Anderson used to spread the Gospel with his feats of strength. The cross is at the top because it is most important. That section of the shield is the symbolic location of the heart and I wanted everyone to know that the JWC holds Christ in it’s heart.
The fancy JWC logo.
Second, the Anvil. It was added to symbolize Grandpa Jackson’s Anvil. If you don’t know, the first inspiration for Dalton Jackson to lift weights was his father (Arthur Jackson) lifting his anvil overhead to impress his kids. Later, around 1928, Dalton and his future brother-in-law, Coda Baugher, made some homemade weights and began to train. Every generation since has lifted the anvil and it sits proudly in my gym to this day! I tried to make the shape exactly like the real anvil. I also put it at the bottom because to me the anvil is the foundation of our club. So now you know the history of the JWC logo. I hope someday my kids take it and make it their own!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Andrew Durniat & the Inch Dumbbell
June 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Andrew Durniat lifts the Dino Gym's Inch Dumbbell Replica at the 2010 Dino Gym Grip Challenge.
USAWA member Andrew Durniat did something at the York Barbell Festival that not very many lifters have done – he walked with a pair of Inch Dumbbells! I was busy with the USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals at the time he did it, and unfortunately missed this feat. I really wish I could have seen it! He walked at least 50 feet, and then after he dropped the dumbbells, he picked them up again and walked back to the starting line. I am just glad Jedd Johnson, of Diesel Crew, caught this unbelievable Inch DB walk on video and uploaded it on YouTube (YouTube Video of Andrew’s Inch Dumbbell Walk). Without this proof, I might even have a hard time believing it!
I have an Inch Dumbbell Replica in the Dino Gym. Most of the time it is nothing more than a heavy doorstop – as most of the gym members can’t even budge it an inch off the floor. The interesting thing about it is that it LOOKS liftable, but only after repeated failures and shaking your head in defeat, do you realize what a grip challenge it really is. The Dino Gym’s Inch Dumbbell Replica has only been lifted by FIVE people, all of which are great grip lifters. Let me give you a list of these guys, because they deserve the recognition - Matt Graham (the first one), John Conner, Dave Brown, Matt Vincent, and now Andrew Durniat. Andrew lifted it with ease at my 2010 Dino Gym Grip Challenge which was promoted by Dino Gym member Ben Edwards. It seemed like he could hold it forever when I took his picture of him doing it. At the York Festival I compared my hand size with that of Andrews. It was humbling to say the least. His fingers are at least an inch longer than mine, which is a very important part of most gripping feats. In the future, Andrew Durniat is a name you will be hearing alot of in the world of strength!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Joseph L. Greenstein, aka The Mighty Atom
June 4, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
This photo of Joseph Greenstein, aka The Mighty Atom, was prominently displayed on the stage at York Barbell during the York Barbell Hall of Fame induction of The Mighty Atom. In 1893 in the village of Suvalk, Poland, Joseph Greenstein was born. He was born prematurely and was not expected to live more than a few hours. Somehow he did survive, however, his childhood was a battle of various illnesses. At the age of fourteen he had tuberculosis, and his parents were told that he would not survive. Once again he proved the doctors wrong. His life changed when he was caught sneaking into a circus to see a strongman called “Champion Volanco”. The stagehand who caught him was in the proses of beating him up when “Champion Volanco” came to his rescue. Volanco took a liking to Joseph and over the next eighteen months the two of them traveled with the Issakev Brothers Circus where Joseph learned how to develop and strengthen his body. He changed so much that when he returned home his family didn’t recognize him.
With in the next few years Joseph got married and started wrestling under the name of “kid Greenstein”. With anti-semitism on the rise in Europe, Joseph and his wife, Leah, left for America. This was sometime in 1914. They settled in Galveston, Texas where he worked on the docks. Another life changing event occurred at this time when a man who was obsessed with Leah tried to kill Joseph by shooting him. The bullet hit him in his forehead, but instead of killing him, flattened out and fell to the ground. Somehow, according to Joseph, this awakened his mental powers, and by focusing his mind he was able to do amazing strength feats. This started his career as a strong man.
He was billed as The Mighty Atom because of his small size. At 5′5″ he weighed 140 pounds. He could drive nails through a board with his bare hands. He would lie on a bed of nails while supporting as many as fourteen men. He would bend iron bars with his hand or with his teeth. He could bite through chains, nails and coins, and lift weights and pull cars with his hair. Along with his strongman act, The Mighty Atom would give lectures on exercise, clean living, and diet. It was while performing in Gilbertsville, PA that he met Lawrence “Slim” Farman. Shortly after this meeting, The Mighty Atom became Slims mentor. Later Slim was known as Slim the Hammer Man. However, this is a story for another article. Along with performing and lecturing, Joseph wrote several books. He was written about several times in Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and in 1976 was in the Guinness book of World Records. Both he and Slim the Hammer Man were honored at York Barbell on May 21, 2011 by being inducted into the York Barbell Hall of Fame. The Mighty Atom was still performing into his 80’s. He passed away on October 8, 1977 in Brooklyn New York.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Mystery Picture
June 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Mystery Picture
I just found this picture, which I found very interesting. Obviously, the BIG MAN in the center front is none other than the great superheavyweight Russian Weightlifter Vasily Alexeev. Take a look at all the guys around him – do you recognize anyone?? Does anyone have any guesses when this picture was taken?? Please respond on the USAWA Discussion Forum if you can help me out with information on this picture. PICTURE UPDATE
This mystery picture has stirred up lots of comments on the USAWA Discussion Forum. Tom Ryan and Thom Van Vleck figured out when and where this picture was taken, and Scott Tully identified our USAWA President Denny Habecker as the man in the glasses. This identification still left some confusion, as most of the guys in the picture are wearing glasses. I finally have the “full report” on this picture, thanks to Denny. The following is Denny’s comments regarding this picture,“The picture was taken on September 18, 1970 at the Ohio Stater Inn in Columbus, Ohio. The lifters are all members of the Upper Darby Weightlifting team, except Alexseev of course. The lifters seated are Dave Brown, Alexseev, and Woody Wilson. The back row is me, Conrad Falvello, Libro Taglianetti, and Barry Branyon. We had 2 rooms for the six of us and Alexeev’s room was right across the hall from ours He came out of his room after he heard the noise of a fire cracker that was thrown into one of our rooms by one of the lifters from the other room.”
Categories: USAWA Daily News
1970 World Weightlifting Championships
June 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
This is a picture of the Upper Darby Weightlifting team at the 1970 World Weightlifting Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
Denny Habecker graciously provided us a few more pictures taken at the 1970 World Weightlifting Championships. These pictures are CLASSIC – and definitely worth sharing in the USAWA Daily News!! Thank you Denny!!!
Vasily Alexeev watching TV prior to the competition.
Vasily Alexeev stretching and warming up prior to the competition.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Strongman Machine
June 10, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Advertising flyer for "The Strongman Machine"
One of the topics brought up recently on the USAWA Discussion Forum was the Schmidt’s Automatic Exerciser. Recent USAWA member James Fuller found information on this old and unique piece of exercise equipment that was used primarily at the turn of the century. After reading the descriptions of it, I immediately recognized that this piece of equipment I knew with another name. I made one for the gym a few years ago after receiving an advertising flyer about it from Dale Friesz. In the flyer it was called “The Strongman Machine”. My guess is that the flyer was probably from the early 1900’s. I never knew much about it at the time, except what was in the flyer. I know from this picture it is hard to decipher all the words since it is not very clear. This is my best interpretation of the writing:
“The Strong Man Machine is the only apparatus on the market to day that will develop your strength to its limit, and give you the Great Power and Super Strength of the Great and Famous Strongmen of the past: Sampson, Sandow, Saxon, Hackenschmidt, Jowett, Cyr, Travis, Jefferson, Kennedy and all the rest. If you want Great Strength you have to handle great weights as all Strong Men have. Short movement lifts, and exercise with heavy resistance are the only ways to develop your powers to their limit. They are more natural than full movements. Just watch a He-man at his heavy labor or a child as it progresses through childhood. A horse takes long steps when running free but very short steps when pulling a heavy load. I do not mean by this that a horse has more sense than human beings for man does the same thing. It is natural and we just can’t help it. Neither do I mean to say that this wonderful machine will take the place of your bar bell and dumb bell set but I do say that no set of weights are half complete unless you have enough weight to practice heavy lifts and exercises such as the Kennedy, Jefferson, Hand and Thigh, Hip and the 100s of other lifts and supporting feats where 100s and even 1000s of pounds may be handled. The Strong Man Machine is adj. from 0 to 5000#. Complete with 1 &2 hand lifting bar, chain, hip lifting belt, weight chart, 15# shot chamber and instructions. A 55# machine for only $9. Same as above machine but without the shot chamber (has a 1 1/16″ bar to fit your own bar bell plates) , a 25# machine for only $7. Order from JIM EVANS GYM, 1900 Ave., E. Lubbock, Tex”
The Dino Gym's version of The Strongman Machine, or the Schmidt's Automatic Exerciser, whichever name you want to call it.
When I made the Dino Gym’s version of this Strongman Machine, I envisioned this as something I could train the Heavy Lifts with, especially when training time was limited and I didn’t want to take the time to load up the heavy bar. Truthfully, I have only used it a handful of times as when I’m in the mood to train the heavy lifts I prefer “the real thing”. So it has been just sitting in the corner of the gym, collecting dust. I hadn’t really given it any recent thought until James brought it up on the forum. I was intrigued why it was also called the Schmidt Automatic Exerciser (now I know someone in the USAWA who goes by the name of Schmidt who is pretty darn proficient in the heavy lifts! But I also knew this had to be long before his time, and probably wasn’t named after him, although it SHOULD be!) So I did a little research, which didn’t amount to much because there is very limited information on a subject like this on the internet. The Oldtime Strongman Blog by John Wood had the most information. In it he has a picture of the Professor Adrian Schmidt using this device and recommending it as a training implement to build strength in partial movements. One of the “selling points” is since it is a lever apparatus, less weight needs to be loaded to have the same effect as more weight loaded on a heavy bar since the “leverage principle” comes into play. The above flyer alluded to this when it stated that no weight set is complete unless you have enough weight to complete the exercise in question.
Adrian Schmidt was quite the strongman and instructor. He was not a big man by today’s standards – 5′9″ and 125 pounds. He marketed his “Schmidt’s Automatic Exerciser” to his pupils, and in his mail-order business, which was was one of the first mail order business’s geared to weightlifters. He was a champion finger puller, and it is reported that he defeated such notable strongmen as Warren Lincoln Travis, Joe Nordquest, and German champion Karl Morke in finger pulling. He also had done 10 chin ups using only the middle finger on his right hand! That is ONE STRONG FINGER!
I found a picture of John Grimek using this device. (but then again, what exercise did John Grimek not do??). It was said that Grimek would take his Automatic Exerciser with him when he traveled, just so he could do his heavy lifts in any gym, and not be dependant on them having the proper equipment or enough weights to do the heavy lifts. That is a selling point in itself!! But the question remains – which came first – The Strongman Machine or the Schmidt’s Automatic Exerciser?
Categories: USAWA Daily News
OLD ADAGES, NEW ADAGES
June 11, 2011 | Authored by Dave Glasgow | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
Dave Glasgow now knows when to "take a break" from heavy training and enjoy a little relaxation in his rocking chair (photo contributed by the webmaster, which was taken a few weeks ago when Dave very successfully promoted a big Highland Games in Wichita, Kansas).
THERE IS AN ADAGE STATING, ‘IF ONE’S GOOD, TWO’S BETTER AND THREE’S JUST ENOUGH!” HOWEVER, IN TRAINING, THIS SAYING COULD NOT BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH!! LET ME EXPLAIN.
FOLKS WHO TRAIN WITH WEIGHTS ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, SELF-DRIVEN, HIGHLY MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS. THEY SEE A MEANS TO THE GOAL THEY HAVE SET AND THEY “GET AFTER IT.” HOWEVER, IN MANY, MANY CASES, THIS ENTHUSIASM IS MISDIRECTED.
I WILL USE MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS AN EXAMPLE. WHEN I WAS JUST OUT OF COLLEGE, I BEGAN TRAINING ON MY OWN. ALL I KNEW WAS THE SPARSE, AND OFTEN MISLEADING, INFORMATION GLEANED FROM THE BODYBUILDING MAGAZINES OF THE TIME. I TOTALLY IGNORED, AS A WHOLE, THE INFO GIVEN BY PEARY RADAR IN THE NOW DEFUNCT, BUT NONE THE LESS VERY EXCELLENT ‘IRONMAN’.
BEING THAT ABOVE MENTIONED ‘ENTHUSIASTIC’ LIFTER, I WORKED THE SAME LIFTS TWICE A WEEK. BENCH, SQUAT, DEADLIFT. FIVE SETS OF FIVE. THOSE WERE MY ‘WORKING’ SETS!! SAME WEIGHT FOR EACH SET. SET AFTER SET, REP AFTER REP. I WORKED HARD BUT COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS MAKING VERY LITTLE PROGRESS! “IF ONE IS GOOD THEN TWO IS BETTER AND THREE JUST ENOUGH. WELL, THEN, BY GOD, FOUR TIMES A WEEK IS PERFECT!”. I THOUGHT!! WHEN WAS I TO RECOVER WITH THAT REGIME?? THE ANSWER? NEVER!! I HAD NO REAL RECOVERY TIME, AT ALL.
THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS INVOLVED IN RECOVERY. AGE; WHAT ONE DOES FOR A LIVING; NUTRITION…. IT GOES ON AND ON. I FOUND THAT A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP AND A COUPLE OF BEERS DID NOT CONSTITUTE RECOVERY.
WHEN WE WERE LIFTING IN COLLEGE, WE WOULD GO BALLS OUT FOR SIX WEEKS OR SO, THEN HAVE TO LAY OUT FOR A WEEK OR 10 DAYS FOR WHATEVER REASON. THEN WE WOULD COME BACK AND OUR LIFTS HAD ACTUALLY IMPROVED!! WHAT THE …???? SIMPLE. THE BODY HAD HAD TIME TO REBUILD AND ADAPT. WE WERE JUST TOO NAÏVE, AT THAT TIME, TO UNDERSTAND THE PHYSIOLOGY INVOLVED.
NOW, BEING MUCH OLDER AND WISER (!!??), I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT MOST TIMES A NEW ADAGE THAT HAS SPRUNG UP RECENTLY IS THE COURSE ONE SHOULD TAKE. LESS IS MORE!! WHEN YOU HAVE TO DRAG YOUR BUTT INTO A WORKOUT, CHANCES ARE YOU ARE JUST DEFEATING YOUR OBJECTIVE FROM THE GET GO. IN MY OPINION, YOU MIGHT BE BETTER OFF USING THAT HOUR OR SO THAT YOU WORKOUT TO TAKE A NAP. THAT, MY FRIENDS, MAY, INDEED, BE TIME WELL SPENT. TRUTH IS, WHAT IS GOOD FOR LIFTER ‘A’, MAY NOT NECESSARILY, BE GOOD FOR LIFTER ‘B’. WE EACH HAVE TO FIND WHAT IS BEST FOR US AS INDIVIDUALS AND SEEK OUT OUR OWN LEVEL. THIS CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED BY A CONSTANT ‘TWEAKING’ OF OUR TRAINING, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET OLDER, TO GET MAXIMUM RESULTS FROM OUR EFFORTS. THIS TAKES TIME AND EFFORT; HOWEVER, I FEEL IT IS TIME WELL SPENT. NEVER FORGET!! TIME TAKES TIME!!
TRAIN HARD, SMART AND RECOVER. YOUR BODY WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!!
###(AS A SIDE NOTE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERY LIFTER TO READ WENDLER’S “5/3/1” PROGRAM. I FEEL HE MAKES SOME VERY VALID POINTS AND I HAVE HAD GOOD LUCK WITH THIS SCHEDULE. IT ALSO FITS IN PERFECTLY WITH MY THROWING AGENDA.)###
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Ravenswood Formula
June 13, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Thom Van Vleck flashes the "Red Light" at USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals as Head Judge Denny Habecker looks for the call. USAWA officials have a lot more to do than judging the lifts. There's a lot of math involved as well! by Thom Van Vleck
I know we’ve probably overdone the talk on formulas to rate lifting performances, but here’s one more. I got a copy of Peary Radar’s Lifting News (Sept. 1965) and notice a story on page 20 titled “A New Simplified Formula for Accurate Rating of Lifting Performances”. This formula was being touted as an easy way to determine the best lifter. Evidently, before calculators, the “long hand” or “slide rule” multiplication using the “Hoffman Formula” often resulted on errors and hard feelings when the errors were revealed later. As a result, the Ravenswood Formula was developed.
I’ll stop right here and say I’m not pushing this to be used by the USAWA nor do I know if it favors heavier lifters (which I’m not sure why anyone would think I would want that….well…maybe I would “like” that). This is just an interesting piece of lifting history from a time when formulas in lifting seemed to be quite the hot topic.
Laverne Myers and Denny Habecker have passed stringent testing to become USAWA officials
The Ravenswood Formula sought to remove the error prone difficulty of multiplication and replace it with the simplicity of adding two numbers together. You were give two tables which are quite lengthy. Table “A” had a bodyweight coefficient which went from 110lbs to 370lbs and Table “B” had a “Total” or lift poundage coefficient which went from 105lbs to 2550lbs. You simply took the lifters weight and found the corresponding coefficient in Table A (a 4 digit number) and added it to the corresponding weight lifted/coefficient in table B (again, a 4 digit number). The theory being that this formula was much more simple and less prone to a mathematical error. You have to take the developer’s word that it’s “fair” or should I say “Accurate” as he does in the title. The developer was Stanley Gorajczyk. Not sure where “Ravenswood” came from….maybe easier to pronounce that “Gorajczyk”! Stanley was an Olympic lifter who got 5th in the 1967 Senior Nationals, so he was a pretty decent lifter as well.
Al Myers looks like he's trying to talk Head Judge Denny Habecker into a good call, but really Denny is busy "doing the math" and calculating the winner using the formula!
I just found it another interesting part of lifting history and went with earlier articles on this website that discussed weightlifting formulas. If you are interested in the tables let me know. It might be interesting to compare the outcomes of this formula to others!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
BACKYARD LIFTING TOYS
June 14, 2011 | Authored by Dave Glasgow | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION OF MY BACKYARD LIFTING TOYS.
THANKS TO SOME LESS THAN CONSCIENTIOUS WORKERS WHO PLUGGED TWO OF THE FOUR OIL WELLS ON OUR LAND, I SPENT A GOOD PORTION OF EASTER SUNDAY, CLEANING UP THEIR MESS. THIS INVOLVED LOADING ROTTEN PIPE THAT WAS FULL OF RUST, CRUD AND ALL SORTS OF CORRUPTION THAT I WOULD RATHER NOT THINK ABOUT. IT ALSO MADE FOR A WONDERFUL TIME TRYING TO TORCH THE PIPE AND SUCKER RODS INTO ACCEPTABLE LENGTHS FOR THE TRAILER.
IT WAS WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PROJECT THAT I LOOKED AROUND ME TO SEE THE CORNUCOPIA OF HEAVY OBJECTS THAT WOULD MAKE FOR A GREAT WORKOUT WITHOUT EVER PICKING UP A BARBELL!! NOW, I MUST SAY THAT, HAVING GROWN UP AROUND ALL THIS FODDER, IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME, UNTIL I WAS WELL OUT OF MY PRIME, THAT THESE ARTICLES COULD AND SHOULD BE USED AS AN ADJUTANT TO A WELL ROUNDED LIFTING REGIME. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT WRITTEN, AS OF LATE, ABOUT HEAVY LIFTING USING TRUCK TIRES, WHEEL BARROWS, RAILROAD TIES, HUGE STONE AS AN ADJUTANT TO BARBELLS. THIS IS NOTHING NEW AND, WHILE NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THE OBJECTS THAT, LITERALLY, LITTER OUR FARM, IT WOULD NOT BE HARD FOR EVEN THE MOST CITY BOUND PERSON TO FIND. IT ALSO OCCURRED TO ME THAT A GREAT COMPETITION COULD BE MADE WITH LITTLE TO NO PREPARATION AND OFFER A WELCOME RELIEF TO THE BARBELL “GRIND”. IT WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU SHOW UP WITH NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING TO BE CONTESTED, NO WAY TO PREPARE OTHER THAN BEING “ALL- ROUND” STRONG.
I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE “CULTURAL ADVANTAGE” OF HOME GROWN LIFTING IMPLEMENTS. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR ‘BUILT IN’ DEVICES? IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR WHAT THE REST OF YOU HAVE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
HMMMMMM…….. I WONDER WHAT KIND OF LIFTS I CAN COME UP WITH FOR A GOOD WEEKEND COMPETITION………
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Dumbbell Snatch
June 15, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
USAWA Secretary Al Myers has the top Dumbbell Snatch in the Record List with this 146# lift at the 2010 Club Challenge.
Let’s take a look at the Dumbbell Snatch which is one of the lifts contested at the 2011 USAWA Nationals being held by the Jackson Weightilifting Club in Kirksville, Missouri on June 25th. I have listed three rules because one references the other. If you want the “quick” version, scroll down!
E18. Snatch – Dumbbell, One Arm
The rules of the Bar Snatch – One Arm apply except one evenly loaded dumbbell is used. The dumbbell may start at any position on the platform. The dumbbell is allowed to rotate during the lift and may finish in any degree of rotation.
A45. Snatch – One Arm
The rules of the Snatch apply with these exceptions. Only one arm is used to perform the lift. The bar is gripped in the center with one hand using any grip, but the palm of the hand must be facing the lifter at the beginning of the lift. The non- lifting hand may be braced or supported on the thigh or knee of either leg but must not contact the bar, platform, or lifting arm during the lift or it will be a disqualification. The non-lifting hand must be clear of the body upon completion of the lift. The bar may be in any degree of rotation during the lift and upon the finish of the lift. Once the bar is overhead motionless, the lifter’s body in an upright position, the lifting arm straight with a locked elbow, the feet parallel and in line with the torso, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar is returned to the platform under control. It is acceptable to use two hands in lowering the bar.
D. Snatch
The bar will be placed on the platform, in front of the lifter’s feet. The lifter will grip the bar with the palms of the hands facing the lifter, and then in one single and continuous movement lift the bar overhead to arm’s length. The lifter may choose any width of hand spacing. The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. The lifter may drop under the bar as it goes overhead, using a squat-style catch in which the legs are bent, or a split-style catch in which the legs are split. The lifter may also choose to drop only slightly, using a power-style catch. The bar may touch the lifter’s thighs and body during the lift. The feet may move during the lift. No other part of the body other than the feet may touch the platform during the lift. The turning over of the wrists must not take place until the bar has passed the top of the lifter’s head. The bar must not touch the head, stop, or be pressed as it goes to an overhead position. The lifter will recover and stand when ready, from the squat or split position, to an upright standing position. The bar must be maintained in a final motionless position overhead, with arms and legs fully extended, and the feet parallel and in line with the torso. At this time, a command from an official is given to return the bar to the platform. The lift ends when the bar is brought back to the platform under control by the lifter.
WOW! Did you get all that! Here’s the short version:
Grip the dumbbell and take it overhead in one movement and catch it at arms length with the elbow locked, no press out. You can drop under it anyway you want as long as nothing touches the floor but your feet. The free hand may brace against the thigh or torso but may not touch the other hand and once you recover, this is important, the free hand must be away from the body. Finally, you can go left or right handed, your choice at Nationals! Categories: USAWA Daily News
Can you Cheat on the Cheat Curl?
June 16, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
I love me some Cheat Curl! There may be some rule changes that bring the USAWA in line with IAWA rules that will open this up for lots of new records!
The Cheat Curl will be contested at the 2011 USAWA Nationals held June 25 and hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club in Kirksville, Missouri. An interesting paradox will take place with this lift. As always, the USAWA annual meeting will take place. This is the one time when rule changes can be discussed, voted on, and passed. Interestingly enough, one of the lifts being contested is the Cheat Curl. The USAWA rules currently are different from the IAWA rules and there is a proposal to change the USAWA rules to bring them in line with the IAWA rules. One of the major differences is the USAWA requires the feet to stay flat on the floor while the IAWA rules allow for the heels to raise. So, according to the USAWA rules if you did a Cheat Curl following the IAWA rules…you’d be CHEATING? So I guess it is possible to cheat on the Cheat Curl! Now, here’s where the paradox comes in.
Traditionally, the rules meeting has taken place after the meet. Since the meeting can be lengthy and since there’s usually a banquet of some sorts afterwards Al Myers and myself decided to have the meeting the night before the meet. That way, we get the “business” out of the way and the day of the meet only focuses on the lifting and the fun afterwards! This has created an interesting situation. One of the lifts being contested on Saturday may have the rules changed on Friday! If so, then which rules apply!
Currently, the USAWA rules state:
D7. Curl – Cheat
The bar begins on the platform, and at the lifter’s discretion, is picked up with a grip that has the palms of the hands facing up or away from the lifter. Feet placement and hand spacing is optional, but must remain the same throughout the lift. Heels and toes must not rise during the lift. Once the lifter is upright in a standing position with the arms and legs straight, the bar on the thighs hanging at arms’ length, an official will give a command to curl. The knees must remain locked and the legs straight during the lift. The lifter is permitted to bend at the waist, sway the body, or drop the shoulders to gain momentum of the bar. The bar may be lowered prior to the beginning of the curl. The bar must be curled from arms’ length to touching the upper chest or neck in one motion. Any downward movement of the bar during the curl is a disqualification. Once the bar is motionless, and the lifter is upright, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar returns to the platform under control by the lifter.
So, be ready for both sets of rules and we will see how this plays out!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Pullover and Push: Old School “Bench Pressing”
June 17, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Pullover and Push as demonstrated by the great Arthur Saxon. He was a favorite of JWC "founding father" Dalton Jackson by Thom Van Vleck
Those of you who know me know that I can’t make things simple. I put a lot of thought into things and when I was thinking about lifts for the 2011 USAWA Nationals to be held June 25th in Kirksville, Missouri this process was in overdrive. I wanted a pressing movement and I also wanted a lift that would honor my grandfather in some way. Well, he was a big fan of Arthur Saxon and when I saw this photo in the USAWA photo archive it just sealed the deal for me that the Pullover and Push would be that “pressing” movement in the list of lifts for Nationals.
Let’s review the rules to make sure we know how to do the lifts!
A35. Pullover and Push
The lifter will lie on his/her back on the platform with the bar placed on the platform above the lifter’s head. Padding, such as a towel or mat, may be placed under the lifter’s body and elbows. The bar is gripped with the palms of the hands facing up and with the bar at arms’ length prior to the start of the lift. Width of hand spacing and feet placement is optional. The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. The lifter is allowed multiple rolls with the bar on the platform to gain momentum to the bar. Hands must remain on the bar throughout the lift. The lifter will then pull the bar over and onto the chest or upper abdomen resulting in the upper arms resting on the platform. The bar must not be rolled once on the chest. The bar or plates must not make contact with the platform once the bar leavesthe platform or it will result in disqualification. The lifter is allowed to move or lift the feet and hips during the pullover. Once the bar is on the chest or abdomen, the lifter may move the feet close to the hips, and raise the hipsto create a bridging or belly toss to propel the bar to arms’ length. This is done at the lifter’s discretion. The lifter is allowed feet and hip movement during the push. The lifter may press the bar instead of pushing the bar if desired. Once the push has begun, the bar must not be lowered in any manner. Only one attempt at the push is allowed. The bar must lock out with even extension. Once the arms are straight, the lifter must lower the hips to the platform and straighten the legs to a flat position on the platform. The arms must remain straight during this time. When the lifter and bar are motionless, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar is returned to the platform under control. It is acceptable to drop the bar behind the head in the return to the platform as long as the lifter maintains hand contact with the bar.
Now, you have to make sure you distinguish this lift from the Pullover and Press and the Pullover and Press with Wrestler’s Bridge. They are often confused. The last thing I will say is that if you have a big nose or a big head…..you may want to turn your head when you pull the weight over to the push position! If you’ve ever done this lift, you know what I mean! Now, come to the Nationals and try it first hand!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Meeting Agenda
June 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
One of the big parts of our 2011 USAWA National Championship will be the Annual National Meeting (ANM) of the USAWA. I have put together the meeting agenda, and it has been approved by the USAWA Executive Board. There are no “big topics” on the agenda like there has been the last couple of years (i.e. the rulebook and the bylaws). The biggest agenda item will be the election of officers. All officer positions will be up for re-election (the USAWA bylaws require this every two years, on odd-numbered years). Only those present at the meeting will have voting privileges (no proxy votes, which is also outlined in our bylaws). So if you are upset about how the administration of the USAWA is “running the show”, this is your chance to voice your opinion or “throw your hat” into the candidate pool for an officer position.
The ANM will be held on June 24th, Friday evening at 6:30 PM. The meeting site will be the JWC Training Hall (for directions contact Thom or myself). Immediately following the meeting a meal will be provided for the membership present. Thom has assured me that this meal will be a “steak and potatoes” type of meal and NOT a “frank and beans” type of meal so bring your appetite. The cost of this will be donations only.
Business Agenda for the 2011 USAWA Annual National Meeting
1. Meeting called to order by USAWA President Denny Habecker 2. Reading of previous meetings minutes by USAWA Secretary Al Myers
3. Report of financial status by USAWA Treasurer Al Myers
4. Report from the Officials Director Joe Garcia
5. Report from the Website Director Al Myers
6. Report from the Records Director Joe Garcia
7. Report from the Awards Director Al Myers
8. Report from the Drug Enforcement Director Chad Ullom
9. Discussion and vote on new proposed lifts
10. Discussion and vote on Rulebook Changes
11. Discussion and vote on Online Store
12. Discussion of other new business brought forth by the membership
13. Accept bids for the 2012 National Championships
14. Election of officers
15. Meeting adjourned
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Continental to Chest: It’s not a Clean!
June 19, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
The mid point of the Continental to Chest.
The Continental to Chest (Fulton bar) will be contested at the 2011 USAWA Nationals hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club. Let’s get familiar with the rules:
A23. Continental to Chest
The lifter starts with the bar on the platform in front of the lifter and raises it by any method of the lifter’s choosing onto the lifter’s chest above the pectoral muscle. The bar may be raised in one or a series of movements and may come to rest, be lowered, or make contact with any part of the legs and body during the lift. However, the bar must not be upended into any position on the body. Hand spacing and grip are of the lifter’s choosing and may be altered on the bar during the lift. The hands may be removed from the bar during the lift. The bar may come to rest on the lifter’s belt. A towel may be placed in the belt for the bar to rest on. Touching the platform with a knee or the buttocks is permissible. It is a disqualification for the bar or plates to touch the platform before the finish of the lift. Once the lifter’s legs are straightened, the lifter’s body erect, the feet parallel and in line with the torso, the bar motionless, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar is placed on the platform under control by the lifter.
F. Fulton Bar (2” Bar) Lifts
Fulton Bar Lifts are approved for all bar lifts using a Fulton Bar and the rules of the individual lifts.
We wanted to have one Fulton bar (or thick bar) lift and the Continental to Chest happens to be it.
In the past, this lift has often been referred to as the “Continental Clean”. This was a pet peeve of former USAWA secretary Bill Clark. He would point out that the “Clean” refers to lifting the bar “cleanly” from the floor to the chest. So, saying “Continental Clean” is an oxymoron……kind of like “near miss” or “alone together”. Everyone knows what you mean but it really doesn’t make sense! There’s a deeper story on how the Continental got it’s name. In the early days of lifting, the British were often in competition with the French and German lifters (or Continental Europe, which did not include the British Isles). The British took pride in how strictly they would lift the bar “cleanly” to the chest and would make fun of how the French and German would bounce the bar up anyway they could and the would refer to that method as the “Continental Style” in a negative fashion. Later, the British were instrumental in the early lifting rules and the continental style was phased out and the clean style was accepted for major lifting competitions. But the USAWA keeps the style alive and well!
So study the rules and get ready for some Continental action!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Deadlift – 12″ Base
June 20, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Wilbur Miller doing a partial deadlift, but still demonstrating the proper foot placement for the 12" base dead lift Let’s talk about the 12″ Base Deadlift. This lift will be contested in the upcoming USAWA 2011 Nationals held by the Jackson Weightlifting Club in Kirksville, Missouri on June 28th. Make sure you know the rules!
The USAWA Rule Book says:
B1. Deadlift – 12 inch Base
The rules of the Deadlift apply except that the maximum width of foot placing must not exceed 12 inches between the inside of the lifter’s heels. It is recommended that a 12 inch space be marked on the platform by a drawn line or tape.
Now, just to cover all the bases, let’s cover the rules for the Deadlift just to be sure we all understand it:
A. Deadlift
The bar will be placed on the platform at the lifter’s feet, directly in front of the lifter. The lifter will grip the bar with both hands with any grip and any hand spacing. The lifter may use an alternate grip in which the palms of the hands are opposed. The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. The bar may be uneven during the ascent, but it must finish evenly. The bar may touch the legs during the ascent, but must not be rested on the legs, bounced, hitched, or lowered. Width of feet placement is optional, but the feet must be parallel and in line with the torso. Heels and toes may rise during the lift, but foot placing must not change. No substance of any kind may be applied to the legs. When the legs are straight, the arms are straight, the shoulders erect, the bar motionless, the lifter will receive a command from an official to lower the bar. The bar must be returned to the platform under control for the lift to be complete.
Pretty straight forward! At the Nationals this year we WILL have tape on the floor to help the lifters and judges make the call.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Zercher Lift: A Missouri Original
June 21, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Denny Habecker completing the Zercher Lift. Denny will be at the 2011 USAWA Nationals where this lift will be contested
When I was selecting lifts for the 2011 USAWA Nationals to be held June 25 in Kirksville, Missouri I very carefully selected my lifts. I was trying to get a good mix from each of the major categories. I wanted a thick bar lift (Continental to Chest), a dumbbell lift/one arm lift (DB Snatch), a power type lift (Deadlift 12″ base), a miscellaneous lift (Cheat Curl), a pressing movement (Pull over and Press), and a squat movement. For the squat movement I picked the Zercher! I also wanted all the lift to come off the floor so that the meet could move along quickly and I was not sure how many spotters I would have.
While the list was then passed on the USAWA board to approve and they did approve it the only one that was questioned was the Zercher. Not because it’s a “bad’ lift, but because it’s been used several times before and there was just some thought that maybe we should “mix it up” a little. The problem for me was this was the ONE lift I felt I HAD to have in my meet. The reason: The Zercher was named after Ed Zercher and he’s a true MISSOURI born strongman!
The man himself: ED ZERCHER, one of Missouri's greatest strength athletes!
One of the things I like about the USAWA is it’s respect for history and the desire to make sure many of these lifts from bygone years are remembered and practiced. Many of them have real merit and are often “rediscovered” in modern times. Look at Kettlebell lifting! My grandfather used to do Kettlebell training when I first stared lifting in the 1970’s and I remember thinking how “old fashioned” that was and he needed to get “modern” if he wanted to get strong! How naive I was! The Zercher has made a bit of a comeback for that same reason……in a way!
Many modern lifters have begun to do what they call “Zerk’s” or Zercher Squats. They take a weight out of low squat rack or power rack, squat with the bar in the crooks of the arms, and then reload it on the rack. This has become a variation that some lifters use in a mix with front and back squats but it is also one that guys have added that have trouble holding the bar in the front squat position or some other injury the precludes regular type squats. But of course, as “Ol’ Clark” himself would tell you…..THIS IS NOT A ZERCHER! Now, there’s nothing wrong with doing “Zerks” and they are a fine exercise to anyone’s repertoire of lifts.
There were some guys recently discussing “Zerks” on a message board and I got on there and pointed out the difference in what I thought was a polite, informative way. One of them blew up! He thought I was being petty bringing up the difference. But to me, Ed Zercher developed that lift and we need to honor the man by keeping things straight! With that said, here’s the rules for the Zercher lift:
C8. Zercher Lift The bar starts on the platform and at the lifter’s discretion the bar is deadlifted to a position where it may be supported on the knees or thighs.
Feet placement is optional, but the feet must be in line with the torso. The lifter will then bend down, with the bar resting on the legs, to a position in which the lifter is able to secure the bar in the crooks of the elbows. The lifter will then stand erect with the arms bent and the bar fixed at the articulation of the upper and lower arms. The lifter’s arms may be inside or outside of the legs. The hands may be locked together. Once the bar is motionless, the legs straight, the body erect with shoulders upright, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The bar must be returned to the platform under control for the lift to be complete. It is acceptable to drop the bar once it is below the level of the knees provided that the hands follow the bar to the platform.
So, come to Nationals and help me honor one of Missouri’s greatest Strongmen! Let’s Zercher!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Old School Meet in Old School Gym: USAWA Nationals Location Change!
June 22, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Attention: This article contains important information on a change in venue for the 2011 USAWA Nationals!
No School like the Old School: Williard Elementary, new location for the USAWA Nationals!!!
My Uncle Phil once told me, “Through no fault of your own….you always seem to have the worst luck”. I guess he was saying that while I do most everything right the variables I can’t control seem to often conspire against me. However, I have always believed that when the world gives you lemons make lemonade and then grill a nice steak to go with it!
I was notified today that the local National Guard Unit is being activated due to flooding in Missouri. Their home is the Rieger Armory and since they are being activated we have lost that location as the meet site. I was told this was the first time since 1993 this had happened! This caused me to take off from work and search frantically for a new meet location! I did NOT want anyone to be disappointed when they showed up! As a result, I tried to be picky….but on short notice “beggars can’t be choosers”. However, I think the location I have found will work out even better!
It is the old Williard School. Just a few blocks away from the downtown square and the Dukum Inn where our banquet will be held. The address is 707 N Centennial Street, Kirksville, MO 63501. This is an old elementary school built about 80 years ago that has been converted into a private daycare. A good friend of mine runs it and was willing to let us use the location. The building is on the corner of Centennial and Cottonwood streets and the gym entrance is on the South side of the building (the Cottonwood street side).
This gym is straight out of the 1950’s and since we are an “old school” type lifting organization I thought it was pretty fitting that we end up in an “old school” for our meet.
If you have any questions on the location, just let me know. I will have me cell phone on me that day and if you attend the annual meeting the night before we will tell you how to get to the meet. Cottonwood actually intersects with Highway 63, which is the major North/South highway in town so it is actually only involves one turn to get there from the highway! Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
NEWS FLASH – NATIONALS RESULTS
June 26, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I just got home from one of the BEST USAWA Nationals that I have ever been to! It was a weekend packed with fun, great lifting, and camaraderie. Eighteen lifters took part in this elite National Competition sanctioned by the USAWA, and hosted by meet director Thom Van Vleck of the JWC. Thom did an extraordinary job as the meets director and provided amenities beyond what is expected. We owe Thom a big “pat on the back” for his efforts. This is not intended to be a meet report (I’ll leave that to Thom to write) but instead just a NEWS FLASH of the meet results. A full report with full meet results will be available in a day or two. The following are the top three women lifters and the top ten men lifters based on amended totals.
TOP 3 WOMEN LIFTERS
1. Amber Glasgow – 784.8 points 2. Susan Sees – 599.4 points 3. Helen Kahn – 562.2 points
TOP 10 MEN LIFTERS
1. Larry Traub - 1668.7 Points 2. Eric Todd - 1665.1 Points 3. Chad Ullom – 1606.8 Points 4. Sam Cox – 1601.7 Points 5. Sammy Ibrahim – 1563.1 Points 6. Randy Smith - 1495.5 Points 7. John O’Brien – 1375.5 Points 8. Dave Glasgow – 1356.7 Points 9. Denny Habecker - 1327.2 Points 10. Joe Garcia – 1239.9 Points
TEAM CHAMPIONS - Ledaig Heavy Athletics
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
National Championships
June 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck AND Al Myers
USAWA Nationals: 2011 Official Meet Report
Group picture from the 2011 USAWA National Championships.
The 2011 USAWA Nationals held in Kirksville, Missouri and hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club on June 25th is now in the record books. The event was held in the old Willard School Gym. This building is around 75 years old and for many of the older lifters, it was the type of gym they grew up in! It had old, hardwood floors and a stage on one side with baskets at each end. There was a partitioned warm up area at one end with the main platform at center court. The platforms were well constructed with the main one being 12′x12′. We had a nice light system for the judges and a top notch PA system for the announcer (Al Myers). Wayne Smith, honored guest and original JWC member, made the comment that Al was the best announcer he had ever heard and since Wayne has attended many Olympic lifting Nationals, a World Championships (in Columbus, Ohio when Alexeev broke the 500lb C&J barrier) and even a Pan Am Games I thought that said a lot!!!!
The morning session included the Women and the older master lifters. Amber Glasgow won the women’s overall with Susan Sees getting second in her first ever trip to the USAWA Nationals! Helen Kahn was a close second to Susan. Three guys that must be mentioned in this early morning group includes Mike Murdock, Dean Ross, and Rudy Bletscher. These guys have had some epic battles going head to head in the past but what sets them apart is the great respect they have for one another and the wonderful encouragement they give each other. Denny Habecker and Dennis Mitchell both traveled a long way to compete and did some fantastic lifting. I know my mother guessed Denny was 20 years younger than his actual age (see….weight training keeps you young!) and Wayne Smith was so inspired by Dennis Mitchell (they are the same age) that he told me he felt like training and competing again.
Now, let’s take a look a the overall top ten men’s lifters as adjusted by age and weight coefficients.
10. Joe Garcia. Joe was handicapped in this meet by the fact that we did not have a “heavy lift”. Joe is one of the greatest “heavy” lifters of all time but that did not stop him from cracking the top ten.
9. Denny Habecker. Denny came a long way to compete and did not disappoint. He also pulled double duty judging and his wife Judy was the scorekeeper all day long.
8. Dave Glasgow. Dave is looking at elbow surgery soon but that did not stop him from having a great day. All while coaching Team Ledaig to the team championships.
7. John O’Brien. John came in at a heavy 290lbs and he had power to spare. He seemed to be strongest on his third attempts. John was the JWC’s top finisher. John made an easy 240lb Cheat Curl that showed his explosiveness.
6. Randy Smith. Randy has been a top finisher for years in the USAWA and did not disappoint. His Continental of 225lbs on the thick bar really impressed several of us.
5. Sammy Ibrahim was the top junior lifter and showed his potential with this top 5 finish in the men’s overall. Sammy broke several records in the process and his explosiveness in the Dumbbell Snatch was a sight to see.
4. Sam Cox, the winner of the first ever USAWA Old time Strongman contest was barely edged out by Chad Ullom who was 3rd. Sam is only 22 years old and will undoubtedly improve and be a force in the future. 3. Chad Ullom. To give you an idea of the caliber of the lifting in this contest, Chad is the CURRENT IAWA World Champion. No, he did not have an off day, it was just that great of a contest. Chad really impressed me with his Zercher lift of 445 pounds.
2. Eric Todd. Eric usually competes in strongman competitions as a professional. He has been an All American Wrestler in College and is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met. He dumped a Continental to the Chest attempt right across his leg and simply shrugged it off and on the the next lift.
Larry Traub of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club won the Overall Best Mens Lifter in his very first USAWA Nationals appearance.
1. Larry Traub. Larry is a 9 time Master’s National Champ in powerlifting as well has numerous other titles. He lived up to his pedigree by edging out the slimmest victory we’ve seen in some time. Eric missed his last Zercher attempt and had he made it he would have beaten Larry for the overall. Just 5lbs either way! Larry pulled a nice 560lbs Deadlift that in the end won the contest for him.
No meet report would be complete without those who work behind the scenes. I would especially like to thank my wife, Kelly, who helped me with lots of details on this meet. She was solely responsible for the Friday night meal, the lunch on meet day, the beautiful cake at the awards banquet, and making sure the banquet ran smoothly until I got there.
The loaders were JWC members Mitch Ridout and Tedd Van Vleck. I know they really wanted to compete, but took the bullet for the team and helped all day. Scorekeeping was done by Judy Habecker and the announcer was Al Myers. JWC Member Brett Kerby set up or spectacular sound system and made sure we were able to open our ceremony with the National Anthem.
Be sure and check back in the following days. We will have special reports on the USAWA Awards that took place at the awards banquet, the special display honoring past champions at the meet, and some of the “stories within the story” that really made this event special.
MEET RESULTS
RESULTS:
2011 USAWA National Championships Kirksville, Missouri June 25th, 2011
Meet Directer: Thom Van Vleck
Lifts: Snatch – Dumbbell, One Arm, Curl – Cheat, Pullover and Push, Continental to Chest – Fulton Bar, Deadlift – 12″ Base, Zercher Lift
Officials (3 -0fficial system used on all lifts): Session 1 – Steve Schmidt, Joe Garcia (head judge), Randy Smith; Session 2 – Steve Schmidt, Denny Habecker (head judge), Dennis Mitchell
Announcer: Al Myers
Scorekeeper: Judy Habecker
Loaders: Mitch Ridout, Tedd Van Vleck
Photographer: Flossy Mitchell
Sound System: Brett Kerby
WOMENS RESULTS Lifter Age BWT Snat Crl P&P Con DL Zer Total Points
Amber 32 142 45- 75 110 85 240 155 710.0 784.8 Glasgow R
Susan 48 197 40- 90 90 80 210 100 610.0 599.4 Sees R
Helen 59 163 25- 60 55 60 170 95 465.0 562.2 Kahn R
Extra attempts for records:
Amber Glasgow: Deadlift 12″ Base – 255# Helen Kahn: Continental to chest – 75# Helen Kahn: Deadlift 12″ Base – 185# Susan Sees: Continental to Chest – 90#
MENS RESULTS
Lifter Age BWT Snat Crl P&P Con DL Zer Total Points
Larry 57 203 90-R 190 235 195 560 325 1595 1668.7 Traub
Eric Todd 36 248 130- 215 425 340 560 420 2090 1665.1 R
Chad 39 250 140- 215 355 320 550 445 2025 1606.8 Ullom R
Sam Cox 22 215 130- 185 325 315 505 405 1865 1601.7 R
Sammy 17 172 105- 175 300 220 425 345 1570 1563.1 Ibrahim L
Randy 56 196 90-R 170 225 225 405 300 1415 1495.5 Smith John 42 290 140- 240 250 340 475 365 1810 1375.5 O’Brien R
Dave 57 248 90-R 175 245 195 440 300 1445 1356.7 Glasgow
Denny 68 194 70-R 120 235 150 325 231 1131 1327.2 Habecker
Joe 57 209 90-R 150 225 200 315 225 1205 1239.9 Garcia
Dean 68 276 70-R 125 175 125 350 225 1070 1043.2 Ross
Mike 71 230 50-R 120 95 125 275 200 865 945.9 Murdock
Rudy 75 215 45-R 90 100 110 275 150 770 899.3 Bletscher
Dennis 79 156 27.5- 76 80 60 210 185 638.5 881.6 Mitchell R
Bob Geib 68 268 50-R 115 115 85 300 225 890 880.2
Extra attempts for record:
Dennis Mitchell: Dumbbell Snatch -27.5# Left Dennis Mitchell: Cheat Curl – 85# Denny Habecker: Dumbbell Snatch – 75# Right Denny Habecker: Pullover & Push – 245# Bob Geib: Dumbbell Snatch – 60# Left Bob Geib: Deadlift 12″ Base – 320# Dean Ross: Zercher – 240# Sammy Ibrahim: Dumbbell Snatch – 110# Left Sammy Ibrahim: Deadlift 12″ Base – 440# Chad Ullom: Dumbbell Snatch – 110# Left John O’Brien: Dumbbell Snatch – 110# Left NOTES: BWT is bodyweight recorded in pounds. All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted points amended for age and bodyweight.
BEST LIFTER AWARDS
BEST OVERALL WOMENS LIFTER – Amber Glasgow BEST OVERALL MENS LIFTER – Larry Traub BEST MEN JUNIOR LIFTER – Sammy Ibrahim BEST MEN SENIOR LIFTER – Eric Todd BEST WOMEN SENIOR LIFTER – Amber Glasgow BEST WOMEN MASTERS LIFTER – Susan Sees BEST MEN MASTERS LIFTER – Larry Traub BEST MEN 40-44 MASTERS LIFTER – John O’Brien BEST MEN 55-59 MASTERS LIFTER – Larry Traub BEST MEN 65-69 MASTERS LIFTER – Denny Habecker BEST MEN 70-74 MASTERS LIFTER – Mike Murdock BEST MEN 75-79 MASTERS LIFTER – Rudy Bletscher
TEAM AWARD – Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Ledaig Record Breakers
June 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
2ND ANNUAL
LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS WEEKEND
30/31 JULY-2011
30 JULY—HIGHLAND GAMES NINE EVENTS
31 JULY—USAWA RECORD BREAKERS
LOCATION: RAINBOW BEND, KS. USA ON SATURDAY, THE 30TH, WE WILL BE FED BY THE ‘NAUGHTY NURSES BAR-B- QUE’. AS A SPECIAL TREAT, THERE WILL BE LIVE MUSIC!! THIS HAS TO BE WORKED OUT AS OF YET BUT I AM FAIRLY SURE THIS WILL HAPPEN.
START TIME IS STRAIGHT UP NOON ON THE 30TH. WE WILL START THE RECORD BREAKERS ON THE 31ST AT 1000 SHARP.
REMEMBER, FOLKS. THIS WILL BE A HOT, SUMMER EVENT! TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS!! I WILL HAVE PLENTY OF WATER, SHADE AND THE STOCK TANKS WILL BE WAITING WITH COOL WATER FOR QUICK IMMERSION.
QUESTIONS?? I GOT ANSWERS!! [email protected] [email protected]
Minutes from the 2011 ANM
July 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers, USAWA Secretary
Minutes from the 2011 Annual National Meeting
The 2011 USAWA Annual National Meeting was called to order by USAWA President Denny Habecker. The meeting started promptly at 6:30 PM on June 24th in the Jackson Weightlifting Club’s Training Hall. Roll call was taken and these 12 USAWA members were in attendance: Denny Habecker, Al Myers, Thom Van Vleck, John O’Brien, Rudy Bletscher, Randy Smith, Helen Kahn, Judy Habecker, Dennis Mitchell, Larry Traub, Chad Ullom, and Joe Garcia. The first agenda item was the reading of the previous meeting’s minutes by USAWA Secretary Al Myers. Although they were quite long and boring, Randy Smith still moved that they be accepted. Chad Ullom provided the second and they were passed unanimously. The next item was the financial report by USAWA Treasurer Al Myers. A net loss for the year of $1242.60 was reported. A budget for 2011 was presented that had been prior approved by the Executive Board. Chad Ullom moved to accept the report, with a second by Thom Van Vleck, and it was passed unanimously. The next report given was by the Officials Director Joe Garcia. Joe detailed the number of current officials, along with a suggestion that it was time to update the Officials Test. The next report given was by the Website Director Al Myers. Several of the website statistics, along with some general comments regarding soliciting sponsorship for the USAWA by using the website as the means of giving our sponsors advertising exposure was reported. The next agenda item was the report from the Records Director Joe Garcia. Joe reported that the USAWA Record List is approaching 10,000 records. He also gave some interesting statistics regarding the records. The report from the Awards Director Al Myers was next. The report explained the purpose of the award programs and what awards were given this past year on behalf of the USAWA. Chad Ullom, the Drug Enforcement Director, gave his report next. He explained our current drug testing program, and how it has been improved by testing more competitions and more competitors.
The next agenda item was the discussion and vote on 6 new proposed USAWA lifts. These six lifts were: the Appollons Lift, the Cyr Press, the Saxon Snatch, the Dinnie Lift, the Goerner Stroll, and the Jackson Press. After a little discussion, Larry Traub moved these lifts be accepted, which was seconded by Judy Habecker. An amendment to the motion was made by Al Myers to accept as USAWA records in these lifts any records that have been done during this past year under the proposed rules. The amendment was seconded by Judy Habecker and the motion passed unanimously. At this point a vote was called on accepting the proposed lifts and it passed unanimously. At this point as required by our USAWA rules, a call from the floor was made to ask if anyone had an official USAWA lift they wanted proposed to IAWA for acceptance. Only one lift was proposed, and that lift was the Bent Over Row as proposed by Al Myers on behalf of John McKean. Chad Ullom provided the second and it was passed unanimously. The next item was several proposed USAWA Rulebook changes that was presented by Al Myers on behalf of the Executive Board. Most of the proposed Rulebook changes were to bring the USAWA rules into compliance with the IAWA rules. After reading all of the proposed changes, only one item caused the membership to be in disagreement, and that was the rule involving the Bench Press – Feet in Air. The proposed change was to allow a bench to rest the lower legs on during the lift, as allowed by the IAWA. Judy Habecker moved to strike this proposed change from the list, with Chad Ullom providing the second. A vote was taken and the motion was upheld with a vote of 8 in favor, 1 opposed, and 3 abstaining. After some more discussion, Chad Ullom moved to accept the remaining Rulebook changes. Judy Habecker provided a second. Al Myers moved to amend the motion by adding that the new proposed rules take effect August 1st, to allow time for the updated Rule Book to be put on the website. Judy Habecker provided a second, and the amendment passed unanimously. A vote on the amended motion was then called for, and it passed unanimously. The next agenda item was the development of an online store on the USAWA website. Website Director Al Myers explained how this could benefit the membership by allowing purchase of USAWA promotional items, rulebooks, and other items off the website. Also explained was the upfront expense of around $500-$1000 that would be required to make this happen to allow for the saleable items to be bought before they would be sold. The membership seemed to be in agreement on this, and Chad Ullom moved that up to $1000 be used to develop an online store under the direction of Al Myers. Judy Habecker provided the second and the motion passed unanimously. The next agenda item was any other new business brought forth by the membership. The discussion of lifetime membership was the only item brought up. Several members were in disagreement on whether this would be beneficial for the USAWA. After much discussion, Chad Ullom moved that this item be looked into further by forming a committee that would report back to the membership at the next meeting. Rudy Bletscher provided a second and the motion passed unanimously. The ad hoc committee that was formed consisted of Al Myers, Judy Habecker, and Randy Smith.
At this point, USAWA President asked if there were any bids for the 2012 National Championships. There were none. Judy Habecker moved that the Executive Board be responsible for finding a venue for the next year. Chad Ullom gave the second, and it passed unanimously. The last item was the election of officers. Judy Habecker moved that the current officers and Executive Board members be retained for another term. These officers include: President – Denny Habecker, Vice President – Chad Ullom, Secretary/Treasurer – Al Myers, at large Executive Board Members - Dennis Mitchell and Scott Schmidt. Larry Traub provided the second, and the motion passed unanimously. At this point Thom Van Vleck announced that the steaks were done and it was time to eat. The meeting was in session for 1.5 hours. Judy Habecker moved to adjourn, Chad Ullom provided a second, the motion passed unanimously, and everyone quickly exited for the supper table.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
2011 Nationals: Behind the Scenes!
July 2, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
If it wasn't for my wife Kelly, we would have missed out on the cake!
If you’ve ever run a meet before you know the work that is involved in it and how “Murphy’s Law” can and will apply. I thought I would share a few of the “behind the scenes” stories.
The Venue Change
Some time ago I had secured the Rieger Armory for our meet. This is the home of our local Army National Guard. It is a great venue and I was pleased to get it. Plus, it had air conditioning! Two weeks out I called up to “confirm” the date and the time I could start moving things in. It was at this time I found out they were on their annual two weeks of active duty. I left a message to call me back. The Tuesday before the meet I got the call and I found out they were being put on “standby” due to flooding and they were “commandeering” the armory! At that point, the scramble was on. I had several back ups, but the big issue you run into with more of the better locations is insurance. I used to hold things on city owned property and they would sponsor the event and we would fall under their umbrella coverage….but no more (I suppose a special thanks goes to frivolous lawsuits). As I made calls and found most were already booked, I narrowed it down to two places. One with air conditioning that would basically be like lifting in a warehouse (it was an auction house) or the Willard School Gym where we ended up which had no air conditioning. I checked the long range forecast and saw a high of 77 with a low of 59 the night before. I borrowed a huge fan and rolled the dice. The next weekend the forecast was for mid 90’s and that gym would have been miserable! That worked out great in the end. It was not the first time I lost my venue last minute….probably not the last….always have a back up plan!!!
The Shirts
I love Sunbrite laundry. The Hettinger family that runs it have been really good to me, it’s one of the few family owned, locally owned business in Kirksville and I try to keep as many of my $$$ locally as I can. But Josh Hettinger always seems to run up until the last minute with the shirts I order from him. I have to say this, he ALWAYS comes thru…..but he has to admit….he did bring the shirts in Saturday morning and that gives the meet director high blood pressure. The first event I EVER ran my shirt guy (not Sunbrite….this guy later went our of business and for good reason) showed up at NOON with my shirts and they were screwed up. This was after me going by repeatedly trying to proof them and get him to get them done. ”Checks in the Mail” comes to mind!
The Awards
For the last several years I have bought 2lb anvils from Grizzly tools. They were unique awards and symbolic of Grandpa Jackson’s anvil that led to my grandfather starting his weightlifting career in the first place. I went to order more and found out they were no longer selling them! So I scrambled on the internet to find a replacement and finally did. However, when I ordered them they were placed on back order! The sales rep assured me I’d have them on time for the meet (again “Checks in the mail” comes to mind) and sure enough a few days before the meet they came in! This did not help my blood pressure!
The Cake
This was pretty minor compared to the other things, but my wife suggested we make a “USAWA” cake for the banquet. I liked the idea and had Al send me the USAWA logo digital file. He had no idea what I was going to do with it, I thought it would be a nice surprise. Well, I forgot to order it! After all, I was already worried about the venue, shirts, and awards! So, my wife jumped in and took charge and literally ordered the cake on Saturday morning! She picked it up that afternoon! Clutch play on her part.
Last minute equipment issues
I had in my mind using some 1″ bars I had for the DB Snatch. Al called me and said he assumed I had some Oly style handles. I did not so he stopped at a sporting goods store in Topeka to pick a couple up. The thick bar was one Al had made and was too heavy for some to open with. So I sent John O’Brien on a quick run home to get a lighter one that I had meant to bring, but forgot. I think I sent him a “list” of things to get, but you always seem to forget something!
The Weather
Those that were there will recall that right before the meet started that a storm blew in. It was not a bad storm but it had plenty of lightning and was dumping ran like crazy. I had a couple people who were not from the midwest kind of concerned about tornadoes and rightfully so. But then the roof started to leak!!!! I had visions of the roof starting to leak all over and ruining the meet! The funny part is that I run a lot of outdoor strongman and Highland Games….I was thinking before hand that the weather would be no concern since we were inside! Boy, was I wrong. Luckily, the ran stopped and so did the leaky roof!
Other than that…haha….the meet ran fine! I considered it a success and I hope those attended had a great experience! Again, you never pull these things off alone and if I didn’t have an understanding wife first and foremost, this would never have happened.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
2011 Nationals: Meet the Loaders
July 3, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Mitch Ridout and Tedd Van Vleck were the loaders for the entire meet and didn't make a SINGLE MISLOAD!
Every meet I’ve been to the loaders have been thanked and rightfully so. I’ve been a loader before and one time at a meet with about 70 lifters! It’s hard, thankless work. The only time anyone notices the loaders is if there’s a miss load! And at Nationals there were none! So these guys were barely noticed.
Often, when you look for volunteers for loading the room will empty quicker than a request for a suicide mission during Armageddon! But I had two guys step up to save the day. My brother, Tedd Van Vleck, and my “brother from another mother” Mitch Ridout. Actually, Mitch rented a room from my Mom at one time and she jokingly calls him her “favorite” son (at least I think she’s joking). Mitch has been my friend for over 20 years and anybody that can put up with me for that long deserves a trophy……especially after the work I get out of him!
Tedd and Mitch both were signed up to lift. But I was short loaders and I asked them to step in and they took a bullet for JWC team (or maybe Team Ledaig wouldn’t have had a cake walk for the team title!…..Ok, so maybe they would have still won since they had the best lifter in both men and women’s catagories). But that thinned the JWC ranks out considerably. I do know that my brother said at the end of the day he wished he’d lifted instead….he thought he’d be less sore! I also noticed that Dean Ross, who lifted in the morning session, was helping Mitch and Tedd in the afternoon. That’s the kind of stuff that makes these meets work!
So a special thanks to Mitch and Tedd for being our loaders and allowing the lifters to focus on lifting! We appreciate you!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Records From Nationals
July 4, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
It was great to see Bob Geib back in action at the USAWA Nationals. In this picture Bob is setting a new USAWA Record with his 320# 12 inch base deadlift.
It is always exciting to see new USAWA Records set or broken. As our Record List gets longer and longer, getting new records becomes more difficult. The USAWA has been accumulating records for close to 25 years, and the USAWA Record’s Director Joe Garcia has been the “man in charge” of this for nearly this entire period. That’s a lot of entering numbers!! In fact at the Annual National Meeting, Joe announced that the USAWA Record List is approaching 10,000 records in length! The lifters at this year’s Nationals “did their job” of adding to this list. 89 new USAWA Records were established. I looked back at the list and believe it or not, but this year’s National Championships made the TOP TEN of ALL-TIME amongst the number of records in the Record List from National Championships! That is quite an accomplishment considering that we have now had 24 USAWA National Championships, and several Championships with more lifters and more lifts contested than this one. That goes to show the quality of lifting that we had at this years Championship. Of the lifts contested at this Championship, the One Arm Dumbbell Snatch provided the most records with 24 Records. The Zercher Lift provided the fewest new records with 9. Susan Sees and Helen Kahn tied with the most new records set in the Women’s Division with 9 records each. In the Men’s Division, Bob Geib and John O’Brien tied with 8 new records each. I always notice when old records (those set years ago) get broken. Dean Ross had this distinction of breaking the OLDEST RECORD with his 240# Zercher Lift in the 65+, 125+kg Class. The previous record was held be Buck Harris at 220 pounds set at the 89 Nationals on June 25th, 1989. Now lets take a look at the TOP TEN Nationals considering number of USAWA records:
RANK RECORDS EVENT MEET LOCATION DIRECTOR
1 119 2003 Hartzell & Youngstown, Nationals LaRosa OH
2 117 2004 John Lansdale, PA Nationals Vernacchio
3 116 2005 Hartzell & Youngstown, Nationals LaRosa OH
4 108 1990 Attilio Akron, OH Nationals Alacchi
5 107 1999 Montini & Ambridge, PA Nationals McKean
6 97 1997 Clark & Columbia, MO Nationals Garcia 7 95 1998 Frank Mansfield, MA Nationals Ciavattone
8 94 1989 John Plymouth Nationals Vernacchio Meeting, PA
9 90 1995 Clark & Columbia, MO Nationals Garcia
10 89 2000 Denny Lebanon, PA (tie) Nationals Habecker
10 89 2000 Thom Van Kirksville, MO (tie) Nationals Vleck
I would like to make the comment that this year (2011 National Championships) is the ONLY EVENT on this list where the meet contained less than 20 lifters. That is something the lifters at this meet should be proud of!
New USAWA records established at the 2011 USAWA National Championship – NationalsRecords
Coming tomorrow – The TOP TEN INDIVIDUALS who have records in the USAWA Record List that were set at a National Championship.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
USAWA Records from Past Nationals
July 5, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Denny Habecker "padded" his lead in the most USAWA Records set at the National Championships with this Zercher Lift of 231 pounds. It broke the record held by Andy Komorny from the 2003 Nationals of 230 pounds.
As promised, today I am going to highlight those USAWA Records that were set at National Championships. To me setting a record at Nationals is a much harder endeavor. The pressure of competition is on, the judging is the best it gets, and the day of competition is long. It is not like a record day where you can warm up as you please, and then take your time to pace yourself for a maximum effort in achieving a new record. That is easy compared to “taking down” a record on a big stage like the National Championships. Truthfully, there should be a separate list just for records established at the Nationals because of the difficulty it takes of getting a record at this meet. When I watch the Olympics I always notice that there are Olympic Records (which are separate from American and World Records) for the events. I’m sure the reasons for this are the same as what we have -because it is way more difficult to set a new World or American Record at the Olympics, and there is merit to setting an Olympic Record as well. (Maybe I can talk our Record Chairman Joe Garcia in setting up a different Record List just for records set at the National Championships???) Irregardless, I looked over our USAWA Record List and was surprised how many records we have “on the books” from National Championships. I counted 1843 records (out of close to a total record count of 10,000) that were established at past National Championships. That number is approaching close to 20% of all records set. I didn’t think it would be that high, but when I looked it over I could tell that the quality of these records was very high. Overall, I counted 169 lifters who have possession of at least 1 USAWA Record that was set in the Championships. Now onto the lifters that own the most!
TOP TEN LIFTERS
RANK RECORDS LIFTER
1 94 Denny Habecker
2 77 Art Montini
3 73 Dennis Mitchell 4 (tie) 63 Noi Phumchaona
4 (tie) 63 Howard Prechtel
6 57 John McKean
7 54 Frank Ciavattone
8 51 Jim Malloy
9 50 Dale Friesz
10 37 Randy Smith
Now that is a lineup of “heavy hitters” in the USAWA! Honorable mention should go to these lifters who just missed the list: Chris Waterman (36 records), Joe Garcia (34 records), and Bob Geib (34 records). I was surprised about some great USAWA lifters who didn’t make the list – but the reason was that these lifters didn’t compete in enough Championships to get their numbers added up. Longevity counts for something! The lift from Nationals that has the most records in it is the Clean and Press, heels together with a count of 90. The next four were the Pullover and Push (86), One Arm Snatch (85), the One Arm Deadlift (82) and the Zercher Lift (79).
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Chad Ullom: Athlete of the Year
July 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Chad Ullom was awarded the 2010 USAWA Athlete of the Year at the awards banquet. (left to right): Chad Ullom, Al Myers, & Thom Van Vleck
After our banquet following the National Meet, we had the Awards Ceremony. Included in this ceremony was the presentation of the Special Awards that were given on behalf of the USAWA to individuals that have shown excellence within the USAWA during this past year. The recipients of these Special Awards were chosen and voted on by the USAWA membership. I feel that makes receiving one of these awards all that more special, because you know that your peers in the organization were the ones who chose you. The “highest award” that the USAWA recognizes is the Athlete of the Year, which is our version of a MVP award. This year it went to a very deserving lifter – Chad Ullom. Chad has had an outstanding year of competitions within the USAWA. He placed second overall at last years National Championship, and then went on to win OVERALL BEST LIFTER at the IAWA World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland last fall. All together, Chad competed in 14 USAWA events during the year 2010. (YES – that’s 14 events and not a typo!). There are not very many lifters that compete in that many events over a 5 year period – but Chad did it all in ONE YEAR! I want to give you a quick run-down of his successes in 2010, and after I do this NO ONE would question why he is our ATHLETE OF THE YEAR. He started the year off by winning the Dino Gym Challenge which was the first USAWA event of the year (so he also has the distinction of winning the first meet of the year as well). After competing in the Grip Challenge and the Dino Gym Record Day, he joined the Dino Gym Team at the Club Challenge in Ambridge and helped out the team to victory. After this, he competed in a couple of postals (Goddard Postal & Eastern Open) and then onto his second place overall finish at the 2010 National Championships. After that, he competed in the Ledaig Record Day before competing in Team Nationals, where he was part of the winning overall team. After his crowning win at the World Championships, he competed in the World Postal Meet as a team member of the Dino Gym (which won the overall team title). He finished the year off by competing in the JWC Record Breakers (where he set 18 USAWA Records) and then off to the Gold Cup in Boston, and finishing with competing in the National Postal Meet. Now that’s a resume!!
Congratulations Chad – you have had a year of successful competitions that would be hard for anyone to follow!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Larry Traub: Newcomer Award
July 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Larry Traub won the voting for the USAWA Newcomer Award. (left to right): Larry Traub, Al Myers, and Thom Van Vleck. The Newcomer Award is an award given on behalf of the USAWA to recognize someone who has just become involved in the USAWA. This year’s Newcomer Award Winner made “a big splash” in the USAWA by not only winning this award, but also the OVERALL BEST LIFTER in his very first USAWA National Championships! Larry Traub is the man I’m talking about – and remember his name because you will be hearing much more of it in the future! It wouldn’t be fair of me to call Larry “a rookie” just because he won our Newcomer Award, because Larry’s one of the most experienced lifters I know. He has been involved in coaching his entire life and has knowledge of the iron-game that few have. He is a very technical lifter, and I know with a little more time, will become a master of all the All-Round lifts. He lifts as part of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club, which without a doubt, will be in the running for next years USAWA Club of the Year. Larry first competed in the USAWA at the USAWA Grip Championships in 2010, and this past spring promoted his first USAWA competition. Congratulations Larry and welcome to the USAWA!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Dale Friesz: Courage Award Winner
July 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dale Friesz receiving the USAWA Courage Award last year. Now Dale will have another Courage Award to add to his collection! (left to right): Al Myers, Dale Friesz
For the second time in two years, Dale Friesz won the Courage Award on behalf of the USAWA. Dale was the unanimous selection among the membership votes, so it goes to show the respect Dale has amongst the membership of the USAWA. In fact, if Dale wins this award again next year, it should be renamed the Friesz Courage Award! Dale really wanted to compete this year at Nationals but due to a training injury a couple weeks prior to the meet was not able to make it. I know this was a big disappointment for him. I know how tenacious Dale is about competing when he’s not 100%, as I have watched him compete when he probably shouldn’t have been! This has been a tough year for Dale physically, but he has corresponded with me about his training and how he is still trying to do what he can. Dale’s attitude epitomizes the courage it takes to overcome obstactles and continue to lift despite whatever challenges he is faced with. Without a doubt, most other lifters would have called it quits – but NOT DALE! I was really glad to see Dale receive this award again because he DESERVES IT. I just hope that I would have HALF the courage Dale has if I was faced with the same physical training barriers he has been faced with. Congratulations Dale on behalf of the USAWA, and we all hope to see you again soon on the platform!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Rudy Bletscher & Mike Murdock: Sportsmanship Award
July 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Rudy Bletscher receiving the Co-Award for sportsmanship. (left to right): Rudy Bletscher, Al Myers, and Thom Van Vleck. Missing from this picture is the other Sportsmanship Award Winner Mike Murdock.
For this first time ever we had a tie in a vote for an USAWA Special Award, so this year a Co-Award was given on behalf of the USAWA in regards to the Sportsmanship Award. The two award winners were a great selection, because both of these guys have “gone at it” in competition with each other this past year and have done so in a most fitting style, showing utmost sportsmanship towards each other. The Sportsmanship Award goes to Rudy Bletscher and Mike Murdock. Mike had to leave early following the banquet before the Awards Ceremony, so I wasn’t able to get his picture taken receiving his Award as I had hoped, but I did get one of Rudy and the surprise look on his face when he received it.
I have enjoyed watching Mike and Rudy compete against each other throughout this past year. They are both pretty close in age, bodyweight, and strength so it always makes an interesting competition. They seem to go “back and forth” in beating each other from one competition to the next, but the both of them always enjoy each others “competitive company” as they do so and don’t seem to mind when they come out on “the short end of the stick”. These guys understand what its all about, and always seem to really enjoy themselves at meets. Both of them are tremendously supportive of the other lifters, and it is a pleasure being around them at meets. One of the things I remember about them from this past year was when they teamed up together to form a duo for Team Nationals. They were a formidable team! As they did the team lifts neither one of them wanted to let the other one down so they pushed themselves as hard as I have seen! I’m hoping they will form a team again this year at Team Nationals. In fact, I’m going to hold onto Mike’s award till then so maybe I can finally get my picture of them together as Co-Sportsmanship Award Winners of the year!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Al Myers: Leadership Award
July 11, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Leadership Award Winners (left to right): Al Myers, Thom Van Vleck
This years leadership award went to Al Myers. I won’t mention who was 2nd….Ok, maybe it was me. But I must have been a distant second in the voting because Al had quite a year last year and was well deserving of this honor.
Bill Clark was the heart and soul of the USAWA for many years. For over 40 years some member of my family was getting his newsletters. Having done a newsletter myself for several years I KNOW the work and cost involved. Al took over the secretary job from Bill and has upheld the high standard Bill set. There is no doubt that for years Bill kept the USAWA going and now that mantle has fallen on Al. Bill brought his unique skill set to the job and so has Al. It’s like comparing apples and oranges, each one is great in their own way. Let’s focus on some of the things that led me to vote for Al, and I’m sure others for the same reason.
First, the website. Back in the day, I got several newsletters. They were the way to go. I can recall when a First Class stamp was 6 cents…now it’s 7 times that amount! Al realized that newsletters were becoming more and more impractical and a website with daily news on it was a necessity. He also realized that the news needed to be updated daily so that people who check back daily and keep interest up. I’m not saying websites are better than newsletters (honestly, I enjoyed the paper in my hand reading it during a workout) it’s just more practical in this day and age. With the younger people, they are used to fast updates, fresh news, early and often and a website is the only way you are going to do that. Al also recruited some top notch writers (ahem….) to help him out. He knew people would get tired of just meet reports, so get in some variety and step outside just USAWA news from time to time. This has also shown the light of day to quite a few stories that would have never been read otherwise. One in particular was Larry Traub’s story on “Things I Hate about the Sport I Love”.
Second, getting others involved. Al contacted me one day and asked if I would be interested in hosting the USAWA Nationals. He wanted a new location for the meet in the hopes that the variety might help attendance. I knew this was a big job, but I also knew Al would not leave me hanging so I accepted. Al has talked many of us into going to meets that we might otherwise not attended. That’s what leadership is all about.
Third, providing equipment. Al has produced much of the apparatus needed to perform all the various lifts in his gym. I wonder how many records have been set at the Dino Gym? I also wonder how many records have been set on equipment that Al made? So he not only provides opportunities for setting records in his own gym he has made equipment that has been used in other gyms to set USAWA records. For example, last year he had a writing contest and the prize (and several were provided) was a thick DB handle to to the DB walk. Finally, Al will make you feel good about yourself. Al is a great friend to many of us and I know I appreciate that. Often, as lifters, we should be encouraging one another and often we do not do this as much as we should. I believe Al has encourage many and again that is the mark of leadership.
I am excited to see what will happen to the USAWA under Al’s leadership. For many years Ol’ Clark kept things going, now Al is keeping things going. I hope he sticks around a long as Bill did!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Habeckers Gym: Club of the Year
July 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Habeckers Gym won the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year Award. (left to right): Denny Habecker, Al Myers, and Thom Van Vleck.
The only USAWA Award that was preannounced before the awards banquet was the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year. However, I still think a few words should be said about Habeckers Gym, which is the USAWA Club of the Year for 2010. Habeckers Gym is a club ran by our USAWA President Denny Habecker. Points are generated throughout the year for various activities and events that add to a club’s total, with the club gathering the most points declared the Club of the Year. The previous year’s Club of the Year is not eligible, but has the honorable distinction of presenting the award to the new winner. I was honored (the Dino Gym was the 2009 USAWA Club of the Year) to be able to make this presentation to Denny and Habeckers Gym. Our club program has grown considerable this past year with many new clubs involved, thus the competition for this award is getting stronger. I really believe the future success of the USAWA hinges on increased club activity, and Habeckers Gym is the example to follow.
As I said, several factors play into gathering points for a clubs total. Club membership is a big part of it. Each USAWA member that lists on their membership application the club they are part of adds one point to the tally. Habeckers membership during 2010 included these 5 members: Denny Habecker, Judy Habecker, Barry Bryan, Andrew Hess, and Kohl Hess. Points are also accrued for those club members that participate in the big events – Worlds, Nationals, and the Gold Cup. Promoting sanctioned events and competitions also gain points for the award total, and bonus points are earned for putting on big events which the Habeckers did in 2010 with the promotion of the National Championship.
A runner-up Club of the Year Award was also given. Again for the second year in a row, Ambridge VFW BBC was the recipient.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Training at Habeckers Gym
July 13, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Habeckers Gym (left to right): Al Myers, Denny Habecker
I had the opportunity to train at Habeckers Gym following my trip to York, PA a couple of months ago. I always like to train in other gyms which are set up to have the same training focus as my gym. All Round lifting is quite different than general weight training, and unique equipment is needed to be able to practice the lifts that we have in our competitions. Most big commercial gyms are not geared to provide this. These big gyms may have LOTS OF STUFF – fancy machines, shiny bars, and ergonomic designed plates – but when it comes to doing lifts like the heavy lifts or even a common All-Round lift like a Zercher Lift, they can not be done. For the Heavy Lifts it is because of lack of this special equipment (heavy bar and belts) and for the Zercher Lift it is because of liability issues! (Try doing a Steinborn in a Commercial Gym and you will soon be showed the door!). Denny’s gym is not a large gym, but has everything I would need to get in a good workout. He didn’t even mind me using chalk! (which ALSO is often not allowed in commercial gyms).
I had a very good workout doing some heavy floor presses off a couple of old tires!
I also really enjoyed the opportunity to train with Denny. I have been to many meets with Denny, but when you train with someone it is different altogether. I hope to get the chance to train at all the USAWA Clubs someday. I learn something new every time when I am in another gym training with other lifters. And how many lifters get to say, “I got to train at the gym that was the USAWA Club of the Year!”
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Bent Press
July 14, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Wayne Smith, JWC member and All Round legend, performing a Bent Press while still in the Navy in Hawaii at Tommy Kono's Gym
The Bent Press is a very unusual lift. It is difficult for just anyone to perform even with an empty bar, but with practice fantastic poundage’s can be lifted as evidenced by men such as Arthur Saxon (370lbs officially and 385 unofficially). In the USAWA I believe that Bob Burtzloff was the finest bent presser our organization has seen. Bob had the top Bent Press in the Missouri Valley All- Round Record List with an official competition lift of 209 pounds in 1985. In 1984 I saw Bob do a 225lb Bent Press at Sailor’s Gym in Wichita after an old odd lift meet and was told at that time he had done 253lbs. Al Myers has told me that Bob’s best training Bent Press was 275 pounds! Just recently at the Heavy Lift Championships in York, PA I witnessed the heaviest Bent Press that has been done officially in the USAWA. David Whitley joined the USAWA following the meet with the sole intent of doing a record Bent Press. He performed a 137 pound Bent Press with the bar using both arms. To me, it looked like he could have done much more but just settled for setting the All Time record on this day. Dennis Mitchell has been the most proficient Bent Presser in the history of the USAWA. At the age of over 60, Dennis performed a Bent Press of 88 pounds weighing only around 175 pounds. Dennis has the most USAWA Records in the Bent Press, totalling over 25 in number. He has told me that his best Bent Press when he was younger was 175 pounds, which was bodyweight. That is quite impressive and should be the goal of anyone wanting to achieve excellence in the Bent Press. The Bent Press has been criticized as a dangerous lift by some, and lauded as a great lift by others. If done properly, I feel it is not dangerous at all.
Newcomer to the USAWA, David Whitley does 137 pounds in the Bent Press for the All Time best mark in the USAWA.
Here are the USAWA rules on the lift:
The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. The bar may be taken from the platform to the shoulder in any manner. This may be done with a one arm clean, or with two hands, or stood on end and taken onto the shoulder using one or two hands. The bar will then be gripped in the center by one hand with the bar parallel to the platform. Once the lifter is in a standing position, with the bar held at the shoulder, the body is bent forward and sideways while the bar remains in a stationary position. This bending away is continued until the lifting arm becomes straight. The body will be in a bent over position at this point of the lift. The bar is allowed to rotate in any direction during the lift. The non-lifting arm may rest on the body or legs during the lift. Width of feet placement is optional. The lifting elbow may be brought into contact with the hip during the lift. Once the bar is locked out and the lifting arm straight, the lifter may stand when ready. The lifter may use the non-lifting arm as support on the knee or thigh. The lifting arm must remain straight once locked out. The lift will end on command from an official when the lifter is upright, the feet parallel and in line with the torso, the non-lifting hand free from the body, and the bar overhead and motionless.
Al reprinted a great story by Arthur Saxon in the USAWA news titled “What it feels like to lift 350 pounds with one hand” and I recommend going back and reading that one if you missed it or re-reading it if you have an interest in this lift. Personally, I believe the Bent Press is an exercise that if done properly (and getting flexible enough to do it properly) is very beneficial. But trying to just go to the gym and “do it” could lead you to real injury trouble. So, read the rules, watch some videos, try to find someone like Dennis, Bob, or David who are proficient at it to coach you and then “GET AFTER IT”!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS WEEKEND
July 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
The Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club won the overall team title at the 2011 USAWA National Championships last month. (photo courtesy of the webmaster)
JUST A REMINDER THAT THE LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS WEEKEND IS SLATED FOR 30/31 JULY. THE HIGHLAND GAMES WILL BE A FULL NINE EVENTS ON SATURDAY AND THE USAWA RECORD BREAKERS WILL FOLLOW ON SUNDAY. I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE TURN OUT I HAD LAST YEAR AND IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE WILL HAVE A MUCH BETTER ATTENDANCE THIS YEAR!! I WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN ME AFTER THE GAMES FOR FOOD AND MUSIC AT THE HOMESTEAD, JUST DOWN THE ROAD. THIS WILL FOLLOW THE CONCLUSION OF THE GAMES ON SATURDAY. IT WILL ALSO BE THE SITE OF THE RECORD BREAKERS ON SUNDAY.
I’LL BE WATCHIN’ FOR YA!!
(Webmasters Note: The entry details for the Ledaig Record Breakers are located on the right of the home page, under “USAWA Future Events”. )
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Judy Habecker: the USAWA Official Scorekeeper
July 16, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
It was my privilege to work alongside Judy Habecker at the 2011 USAWA National Championships. (left to right): Al Myers, Judy Habecker
Today I want to mention Judy Habecker and how her input into the USAWA is so vital. Usually the lifters get all the recognition and the people who provide all the support “behind the scenes” don’t receive the recognition they deserve. For those of us that have been actively involved in USAWA competitions for 10 years or more, we know who these people are. I know alot of “first timers” or new lifters might not be aware of this as much, but I know I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM. Judy has been our main scorekeeper at our big competitions (Nationals, Worlds, and the Gold Cup) for many years and because of her efforts, meets “go off” without a hitch. Most lifters just take this for granted and don’t realize all the work that is done by Judy.
Judy takes her job as meet scorekeeper very serious. I have to confess that I didn’t fully understand how serious she was with her scorekeeping until this past National Championships where I was the announcer and had to work “side by side” with her all day. I was a little nervous if I could “pull my weight” as announcer since I know Judy has kept score alongside such reputable and famous announcers as IAWA Prez Steve Gardner and “the Father of the USAWA” Bill Clark. I told Judy from the very start of the day that I was going to rely on her VERY MUCH – and she didn’t let me down! Judy is a perfectionist when it comes to keeping the scores right and in keeping the proper information in front of me the entire day so I could do my job as the announcer. And I’ll say it again -NEVER ONCE did she let me down! To sum up this past National Meet, we had 18 lifters, 6 lifts apiece, a total of close to 400 total lifts with extra attempts, and all done in 7 hours on ONE PLATFORM. Do the math – that is close to one attempt per minute! There are not very many scorekeepers who could keep up this pace and not let down throughout the day, but for Judy it was nothing more than a “walk in the park”! Another thing most lifters don’t realize is the amount of work that needs to be done AFTER the meet by Judy in tallying the scoresheets. The formulas need applied, and calculations need made. This has to be done correctly or the wrong lifters may get announced as the winners. While the rest of us were enjoying our beverage of choice at the banquet, I noticed Judy was still “double checking” her calculations on the scoresheet to make sure “everything was right”. We are very fortunate to have someone like Judy to “step up” and take on this very important job within our organization. It is a position that has no glory, and if no mistakes are ever made, the scorekeeper does not get noticed. I also consider Judy one of the KEY MEMBERS of our organization. She always joins the USAWA every year whether she plans to compete or not, and takes active involvement in our meetings, always giving very valuable input. I’m pretty sure if she ran for President of the USAWA she probably would get elected (haha Just kiddin ya Denny!).
Please do me a favor and at the next meet thank Judy for all she does. She DESERVES IT!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Wayne Smith: All Round Legend Part I
July 18, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Wayne Smith deadlifting the front end of a Volkswagon.
Wayne Smith was one of the original Jackson Weightlifting Club members. He usually lifted in the 148lb class and competed in Olympic lifting meets, Powerlifting, and early “odd lift” meets and later USAWA meets. Smith was born in 1932 and is currently 78 years old.
Wayne told me he first became interested in weightlifting as a kid with his twin brother, Ward. But it was not until he joined the Navy that he actually started training regularly. While in the Navy he was stationed in Hawaii and it was at this time he made a life long friendship with Tommy Kono (If you don’t know, Kono was one of the greatest Olympic lifters of all time and was actually voted “Weightlifter of the Century”). Wayne has letters he has received over the years and a personally autographed copy of Kono’s book on lifting (Weightlifting: Olympic Style). There is also a letter from Gary Cleveland. Cleveland was a great York lifter who later put out a newsletter called the Avian Movement Advocate that Smith would often contribute to. The letter talks about a letter Kono sent to Cleveland about Smith and it was very positive. Smith told me that it meant a lot to him that Kono would write that letter about him.
Wayne Smith "wowing the crowd" with his Chinup prowess.
It was around 1957 that Wayne returned from the Navy and was approached by a group of brothers trying to find out more about weightlifting. Smith felt he was no expert but these young men, the Jackson Brothers, knew almost nothing and were lifting makeshift barbells made of concrete poured in buckets, old flywheels for extra plates, anvils, and pretty much anything that wasn’t tied down. My favorite story was about the first thing Smith told them was to reverse their grip on their cleans, presses, and jerks. They were using a “curl” or “reverse” grip! Soon they were working out on a regular basis and the foundation for the Jackson Weightlifting Club as we know it today was laid.
Wayne’s first meet was in Omaha, Nebraska in 1958. His Olympic lifting and Powerlifting career lasted until 1971. During that time he entered many meets as a member of the Jackson Weightlifting Club. He was part of a JWC team that won two state team titles. He was also proud of the fact he never failed to total and he never failed to make weight for his weight class. He said Kono had taught him to take a safe lift then go all out on 2nd and 3rd attempts and this served Wayne well. In 1964 won the Missouri State Championships as a middleweight. Just prior to winning that title he was told he had a lung condition and at the rate he was deteriorating he had maybe two years to live! He received treatment from Dr. Valuck who he credits with diagnosing him and treating him back to health!
Smith at the top of one of his "perfect" one-arm chins at a powerlifting meet in Minnesota in 1966. You will find a poster of this picture on the wall in Clark's Gym.
In the late 70’s, Wayne began entering “odd lift” meets put on by Bill Clark. He also lifted in the early USAWA years. It was in 1977 that Bill nominated Wayne for the AAU Weightlifting Hall of Fame and Wayne was later inducted. During his lifting years Wayne won 4 major titles. Other than his state title in 1964, in 1966 he won the City Championships in Kirksville, in 1966 he won the Open Powerlifting title in St. Paul, Minnesota (where the chin up photo was take, more on that later!), and in 1971 he won his last title, a powerlifting meet in Jefferson City were he won the Open title.
Wayne was also a chin up specialist. He would often challenge all comers to a chin up contest. He told me he was only beaten one time. It was by another JWC member named Dr. Rex Lee. Rex had joined the club while going to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and lifted as 114lber. Rex weighed only 105lbs when he beat Smith by one rep. My Uncle Phil told me that every meet they ever competed in at some point Smith would put on a chinning exhibition. If there was no bar to chin on then Phil and another member of the club would hold a 45lb bar up for Smith to chin on! In 1998 I “revived” the club and in 1999 held a strongman contest and Highland Games that eventually turned into the Kirksville Games and the JWC Strongman Championships/Highlander. My brother and I held a bar up and at age 68 Wayne did a perfect one arm chin up! When I say perfect he did a “dead weight” pull and no “kip” or “kick”. That’s how he always did them and had a best of 6 one arm chins.
Coming Soon: Part II
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Wayne Smith: All Round Legend Part II
July 19, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Wayne Smith pulling a partial deadlift with everything but the kitchen sink on the bar!
In Part II of my story on Wayne Smith, we will look at some of his best lifts, his personality, and his hard work ethic.
Wayne Smith was most impressive when he was deadlifting. He had a best of 460lb at 148lbs (triple bodyweight). He also had a 240 bench, snatch 145, C&J 200, squat 290, and a Clean & Press of 160. Wayne Jackson told me that one of the most impressive things he saw Wayne Smith do was a bent arm pullover from the floor to the chest while lying on a bench with 250lbs. Some of Waynes old records on the Pre-USAWA “All-Round Records” list include a 230lb Middle Fingers deadlift, a Pinch Grip of 115lbs, and a Miller Clean & Jerk of 90lbs all done in his late 40’s.
Phil Jackson remembers meeting for the first time in 1957. He said he was around 13 and Wayne was the “expert” who actually was friends with Tommy Kono! Phil said they all enjoyed Wayne’s wry sense of humor and it made training sessions funny and the long, late night trips back from meets tolerable. Wayne was always saying something off the cuff. Some of his best that I remember include:
“Bodybuilding is like a dog show”
“I complained to my wife about how sore I was and when she found out it was from doing a heavy deadlift she told me to see a vet because only a jackass would try something like that”
One time, Ed Zercher, Sr was the head judge at a lifting meet and smith was up on the deadlift. Zercher was really serious on judging. Smith walked up and took a “clean grip” as Ed looked on through his trademark tiny spectacles. Smith stood up, snapped his fingers and said, “That’s right, this is the deadlift…..I was getting ready to clean this”. Phil said Zercher didn’t bat an eye and said, “One minute” indicating Smith better lift or get off the platform.
Smith up in a tree cutting limbs.
Smith was a tree trimmer his whole life and he was famous for scaling unbelievably tall trees with little or not climbing gear and like a surgeon dropped limbs with great precision. One day a guy said, “You must like heights” and Smith told him he HATED heights. The guy asked him why he climbed such tall trees then and Smith said, “Because that’s where my grocery money is at!!!!”
Smith was a great tree trimmer and my Uncle Phil and I both share the experience of helping Smith in his tree trimming business. Smith was not a wealthy man, as a matter of fact, he usually just got by. I recall one time Smith was trying to get one of three chain saws going to finish a job when he turned to me and said, “There’s nothing shameful about being poor….it’s just d@med inconvenient”!!! It’s hard work trimming trees and Smith made extra money cutting that wood up for fired wood that he would sell. He was one of the hardest working men I knew and the fact that he trained with weights at all was a feat unto itself. There is no doubt he would have had a much greater career if he hadn’t been breaking his back all day working!
That might explain Wayne’s training regime. He worked so hard trimming and cutting down trees and often when the work was there he’d put in dawn to dusk days that he hardly had time or energy to train. Getting that “grocery money” out of the trees was more important than a trophy! He would often show up at the gym and lift for about 20 minutes at a time hitting all the major lifts he was going to do in the next contest. For example, if he were going to do a powerlifting meet he’d hit his warm ups, hit his opener and move on to the next lift. No frills, just right to the point. Smith got plenty of “assistance” work in his job….the kind of stuff people now do and call “old school” training, Smith did and made a living at it! Wayne also would focus on some new stunt that he’d practice when he could on the job. When I was working for him it was around the time Mt. St. Helen’s erupted. So Wayne was working on doing chins while pinch gripping the rafters. He also would “monkey bar” across the room pinching the rafters. He quite seriously would tell me if a volcano erupted and the room filled with lava he’d be safe! I never knew how serious he was because I thought to myself….”If the room is full of lava then I would think that would be the least of your worries”! His wry sense of humor kind of always left you wondering!
Smith with his custum made truck hauling a "typical" haul for him. He was talented at getting huge trees out by himself. The truck had a strong wench with an I-beam on the top that would pull a large log right in!
Later Wayne Smith became interested in bowling. He became very good at it and and was so successful he was inducted in the Missouri Bowling Hall of Fame. He is a local legend in the bowling alley and he is proud of the fact that he’s the only person in both the Bowling and Lifting Halls of Fame.
Wayne has been a big part of the JWC for OVER 50 years. Who knows, maybe if he had not been there to guide my Uncle’s when they first started training maybe there would never been a JWC. I feel we owe him a lot and his contributions to Olympic lifting, Powerlifting, and the USAWA should not be overlooked!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
5th Edition Rulebook Changes
July 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
At the Annual National Meeting of the USAWA last month, a few minor rule changes were approved by the membership that I want to let everyone know about. Most of the changes in the individual lift rules were made to bring the USAWA rules into compliance with the IAWA rules. As I’ve said before, I feel this is a very important step in accomplishing uniform rules between the USAWA and IAWA. However, this will be an ongoing process that will need to be addressed every year for a few more years until this problem is resolved completely.
A few “big changes” were made to the General Rules. The first was requiring Officials to be USAWA members in order to serve in an active capacity. Our official’s program has really taken off the past couple of years, and I feel this is just another “small step” in developing a solid program for officials (I still feel we are not there yet, and more improvements need to be made). I want to stress that there will be NO LOSS of certification status if an officials membership lapses. All that is required is rejoining the USAWA in order to be an active official again. These inactive officials will be identified on the Officials Roster with an asterisk. Another change is from now on all new Fulton Bar lifts will need to be approved as new lifts by the membership. Once approved, any new Fulton Bar Lift will be added to the rulebook. The next big change is that sanction requests must be turned into the USAWA at least 6 weeks prior to the meet date. This is necessary in order to allow ample time to adequately announce the event on the website.
These new changes will become effective August 1st, at which time the new 5th Edition USAWA Rulebook will be available.
USAWA Rulebook Changes/Additions/Subtractions
Individual Rules of the Lifts: 1. D7. Curl – Cheat: Remove “Heels and toes must not rise during the lift.” Add “The heels may rise during the lift” and “the bar may be lowered below the knees during the lift”. These changes will bring the USAWA rule into compliance with the IAWA rule.
2. A15. Clean and Press – On Knees: Remove “However, touching the buttocks to the feet or lower legs during the press is a disqualification.” Add “The lifter may press with the buttocks touching the feet or lower legs or press in an upright position, but if the buttocks are touching the feet or lower legs at the beginning of the press the lifter is not allowed to become upright during the press.” This change will bring the USAWA rule into compliance with the IAWA rule.
3. A44. Snatch – On Knees: Add “The knees are allowed to move on the platform during the lift.” This change will bring the USAWA rule into compliance with the IAWA rule.
4. H24. Vertical Bar Deadlift: Add “Both vertical bars must be loaded to the same weight.”
5. E9. Curl – 2 Dumbbells, Cheat: Remove “The dumbbells must be turned so the rods of the dumbbells are in line with each other prior to the curl and during the curl.” Add “The dumbbells may be in any degree of rotation during the curl, but must finish with the rods of the dumbbells in line and parallel to the shoulders.” This change will bring the USAWA rule into compliance with the IAWA rule.
6. H15. Pinch Grip: Add “front hang or backhang is allowed to the loading of the center bar”.
7. H21. Turkish Get Up: Add “A dumbbell, kettlebell or barbell is used for this lift, but only one record will be kept regardless of the implement used.” This change will bring the USAWA rule into compliance with the IAWA rule.
General Rules:
1. VII. Officials: Add “USAWA Officials must have current USAWA membership to be active officials. Officials who do not have current USAWA membership will be identified on the list of certified officials as inactive. The lack of current membership will not result in the loss of certification status.”
2. Fulton Bar (2” Bar) Lifts: Remove “Fulton Bar Lifts are approved for all bar lifts using a Fulton Bar and the rules of the individual lifts. Listed below are the rules for the Fulton Bar Lifts in which records have been set”. This would require that all new Fulton Bar Lifts would need to be proposed and passed as new lifts.
3. VII.3 The Competition: Add “Sanction requests must be sent in for approval at least 6 weeks prior to the scheduled event.”
Editing:
1. B7. Deadlift – Fingers, Middle: The photo caption changed from “Deadlift – Fingers, Little by Dale Friesz” to “Deadlift – Fingers, Ring by Dale Friesz”.
All changes will be made to the 5th Edition USAWA Rulebook, which will become effective August 1st, 2011.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
USAWA Nationals: Let’s Celebrate!
July 21, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Some of the 2011 USAWA lifters with family and friends at the Banquet following the meet celebrating a great day!
The recent USAWA meet really got me to thinking. We all work really hard to train, prepare, and then travel to a meet. Often at great expense. I have been doing that for over 30 years now. When I was younger, I would often go to the meet and head right out after collecting my trophy (if I got one!) and my drive home was filled with obsessive thoughts on how I was going to get better. I have always been really hard on myself and as a result, I can honestly say I’ve never felt like I deserved to celebrate after a meet. Even though I’ve had meets where I did quite well!
We need to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Even when we don’t live up to expectations, we need to unwind a little and enjoy the moment. That’s exactly how I felt at the USAWA Nationals Awards Banquet afterwards. I enjoyed the moment (plus a great meal, some caked, and a scotch!). I’ve missed to many of these in the past. I have been a Counselor for 20 some years, but I”m often my toughest patient because my reflection won’t call me out when I need it. Results come from getting your body to do things it does not want to do. Rewarding yourself is an important part of training, it makes it worthwhile.
Now, I know that some folks have other obligations, such as work the next day, or small kids, or a long drive home, but give yourself a break. Enjoy the moment. Take a breath……then get back after it!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Middle Atlantic Postal
July 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET RESULTS – 2011 MIDDLE ATLANTIC OPEN POSTAL MEET
I just received the meet results for the 2nd quarter postal meet results for the USAWA Postal Series from the USAWA Postal Meet Director John Wilmot. Congratulations to Orie Barnett for being the BEST LIFTER. The turnout for this postal meet was a little less than previous ones, but the month of June presents many conflicts for people (with summer vacation plans and other competitions). I know this was the reason I didn’t get my lifts in – I was busy getting ready for the USAWA Nationals and then I had a business trip right at the end of the month. The deadline entry date passed before I could get my lifts done!
Meet Results:
Middle Atlantic Postal Meet June 30th, 2011
Meet Director: John Wilmot
Lifts: Clean and Press – Reverse Grip, Cheat Curl – Dumbbell, One Arm, Continental to Chest and Jerk
Officials: (1 official system used for all lifters)
Lifters using a Certified USAWA Offical:
Kohl Hess – Official Denny Habecker
Lifters using a judge who is not an USAWA Official:
Denny Habecker – Judge Kohl Hess Orie Barnett – Judge Sam Rogers John Wilmot – Judge Kay Wilmot
Lifter Age BWT Press Curl C&J Total Points
Orie Barnett 50 230 183 95- 225 503 462.1 R
Denny 68 191 110 75- 132 317 375.5 Habecker R
Kohl Hess 17 315 154 85- 198 437 326.8 ?
John Wilmot 64 221 115 60- 125 300 317.2 R NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in pounds. All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are points adjusted for age and corrected for bodyweight using the Lynch Formula.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results
Century Club
July 22, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Joe Garcia is moving up the Record List Count faster than anyone else! This past year he has went from 9th to 5th. This picture is from the 2011 Heavy Lift Nationals in York, PA where Joe added another USAWA record in the Hand and Thigh with this 1400 pound lift. Joe has more H & T records (17 total) than anyone else, everywhere from the 90 KG class to the 110 KG class.
A couple of years ago I tagged the term “Century Club” as a way of identifying lifters who currently hold over 100 USAWA Records. It has been a while since I have given an update on these record-setting lifters, so I think it is time I revisit this topic again. I believe it has been a year (after last year’s National Championship) that I gave my last update on the current members in this Century Club. I know I have highlighted the “records race” between Denny and Art a few times since, but now since Denny has stretched his lead over Art 401 USAWA records to Art’s 378 USAWA Records, the drama with this has been subdued and the records race has taken a seat on the sidelines until Art starts to make ”a run” on Denny.
The Century Club is an ever-changing list, and it changes constantly. It is based on CURRENT records, so it is possible to be on the list and then if some of your records are broken, you may fall out of the club. I sadly report this has been the case this past year. John Vernacchio’s record count has fallen to 97 records, and now he is out of the Century Club. No one new has joined since Scott Schmidt in the fall of 2009! Scott was sitting at the number 20 spot when he made the Century Club in December 2009, climbed to spot 17 after last year’s Nationals, and now resides at the 15 spot. By John falling off the list, the Century Club now stands at 19 members. Who will be the next to join?? Two Dino Gym members are “knocking at the door” of accomplishing this. Rudy Bletscher just BARELY missed the list this time as he currently stands at 99 USAWA Records. Chad Ullom made a big push on his USAWA records this past year and now has 97 records. With Chad hitting the Masters Class next year that will open up the record book for him to set more records as he will then be eligible for age group records. I got my money on both of these guys to make the Century Club this summer!
There were some changes in the orders and number counts, but the same names hold the Century Club down. The top four spots on the list remained the same. The biggest dropper was Bill Clark, as he dropped from the number 5 spot to 10th with only a decrease of records from 214 to 199. I know the reason for Bill’s decrease in records as I’ve been lifting with this guy in meets all winter and have watched him break several of Bill’s records. I’m talking about Mike Murdock. The biggest increaser on the list is our USAWA Records Chairman Joe Garcia. Joe added several new records this past year and moved from the number 9 spot to 5th overall with 226 records. Dennis Mitchell notched up one spot to number 6. Take notice of all the USAWA Hall of Famers who are members of the CENTURY CLUB (marked with a *).
Century Club
1. 401 Denny Habecker * 2. 378 Art Montini * 3. 274 Al Myers 4. 247 John McKean * 5. 226 Joe Garcia * 6. 223 Dennis Mitchell * 7. 214 Noi Phumchaona * 8. 206 Frank Ciavattone * 9. 201 Bob Hirsh * 10. 199 Bill Clark * 11. 171 Howard Prechtel * 12. 138 Dale Friesz * 13. 134 Ed Schock 14. 132 Jim Malloy * 15. 131 Scott Schmidt * 16. 123 John Monk 17. 117 Mary McConnaughey 18. 114 Chris Waterman * 19. 106 Joshua Monk
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Big Muscles or Strong Muscles?
July 23, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
Dennis Rogers next to Thom Van Vleck at the York Barbell Benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project. Dennis is one of the top short steel benders of all time!
The Jackson Weightlifting Club does a lot of Strongman “Evangelism” shows (like Paul Anderson used to do). To date, we’ve done around 250 total shows with over 100 being full blown productions with the full team. The smaller shows are what we call “gym bag” shows where we bring in stuff we can carry in a gym bag to put on a small one or two man show. We often get called by local groups to entertain.
One time, we got a call from the local YMCA to do an “after school” show. I was planning on doing it solo, but had something come up so Brett Kerby went instead. We have four core members of our team and Brett is by far the smallest, but he’s the best of the group when it comes to short steel bending and ripping decks of cards in half! He went to do the show and when he showed up a local TV news crew was on hand and this was not planned (which Brett is not comfortable with that kind of stuff at all!). At the end, the news crew interviewed the kids and that night we watched it. Several kids said things like, “That was awesome” or “I liked it when he ripped the phone book in half”. One little girl really caught our attention. She said, “I thought you needed to have big muscles to do that…..but I guess not!” Needless to say, we had a lot of fun kidding Brett about that. One time we were getting ready to do a show and Brett got there early to set up the sound system. A guy there to see the show asked, “So….when do the strongmen get here”. No respect!
Two Thirds of the Jackson Brothers: Phil and Wayne "Staggo" Jackson. Little Brother and Big Brother! Wayne could move big weights but Phil could do some amazing feats of strength that Wayne couldn't!
Meeting Dennis Rogers made me think of Brett. Dennis also reminded me of USAWA legend Steve Schmidt. None of these guys are huge, muscle bound, behemoths. But they are also NOT guys you would want to mess with. Short steel bending requires a suspension of pain. I once saw John O’Brien drive a 60 penny nail into his hand at least a half inch…..and he put some tape on it and kept bending for a half dozen more shows that weekend before seeking treatment….he didn’t even flinch. If you watch these guys you will see how painful it really is and if you try it, you will KNOW how painful it is. I have managed a 60 penny nail, halving and quartering a deck of cards, and doing phone books. My hands hurt, my elbows hurt, and my shoulders hurt. All lifting involves pain tolerance, but that stuff requires “pain suspension”.
So, big muscles impress the novices and sometimes even the experts….but there’s much more to it than big muscles. Pain tolerance, tenacity, leverage, and being smart and calculating are all factors that guys like Dennis Rogers, Steve Schmidt, and Brett Kerby have mastered. They are the kinds of guys I would want in a back alley fight because they won’t quit…..and really, who would expect such strength from someone their size!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Grandma’s Wooden Dumbbells
July 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Jarrod Fobes
Grandma's wooden dumbbells.
We’ve been cleaning out the crawlspace in my basement in preparation for a yard sale. The house was built in 1924, and belonged to my wife’s maternal grandparents until they passed. Anyway, tucked behind a box of knitting supplies from the 1950’s, I came across what looks like a pair very well used wooden dumbbells! You can see in the picture that they are marked as weighing 2lbs, so I suspect they belonged to Grandma. I never met the grandparents, but I know that Grandpa was in the Alaska gold rush and was something of an adventurer, so I suspect 2lbs might have been a bit light for him.
Rubber Grip Trainers
The night before, my lovely wife Karena also came across these rubber grip trainers in the storage room. They’re made out of dense rubber, have a nice feel to them, and provide some pretty good isometric grip work.
I know these aren’t exactly artifacts of old-time famous strongmen, but I still thought it was interesting because Karena has recently started more serious strength training and is showing some real potential. Her mom keeps pretty fit as well, and it’s fascinating to me to see the roots of all that go back to Grandma! In any case, I was wondering if anyone knows the approximate age of these things?
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Omega Force: Christian Strongman Team
July 26, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
By Thom Van Vleck
Randy Richey: Founding Member of Omega Force.
I have met many of my best friends being involved in strength sports. This is a story about one of them and the group he helped start. I was competing in a Strongman contest called the “Strongarm Games” in Kansas City put on by Steve Scott. This contest had a Scottish flair to it and I recall we did some strongman events with some highland games event thrown in. It was then I first met Randy. We competed together and hit it off really well. Then, a couple years later a friend of mine invited me to be his guest in a VIP box for the US Strongman Pro Nationals in St. Louis at Harrah’s Casino. The warm up show included some bending by John Brookfield and he was performing with Omega Force. I kept looking at the guy that was the leader but could not place him….when suddenly he called me out by name! I realized it was Randy, the guy I had met at the Strongarm Games.
Randy hitting a big squat with one of his custom built props. After the show I talked with Randy at length about what he did. At that time Bubba Melton was still with him and performing. During the next year, I would find out that Bubba had passed away and he was only 34 years old. Omega Force was doing Christian evangelism in the Paul Anderson tradition. Randy built all his own equipment on his farm in Kentucky and had an ever changing group of guys that would do shows with him. It was after that show that he told me that he would call me the next time they were up this way.
That next year, Randy did call me and I recruited Brian Kerby to go down with me. Brian and I thought we’d be mostly helping set things up but quickly found ourselves in the middle of the show! There were 6 shows in 4 days including two over two days for the US Pro Nationals Strongman Contest. The final day ended up in the Family Arena in St. Charles where we performed for over 3000 there to see the strongman competition! Brian and I were so inspired we came back and started our own local team. From time to time we have helped out Omega Force as have greats like Bill Kazmaier, Paul Wrenn, and Anthony Clark! A couple years back we went with Randy to the Arnold Fit Expo and were invited to provide security for Arnold himself. Arnold autographed an 800lb log that Randy squats in his shows to show his gratitude. It was at that show that Brian Schoonveld, a World’s Strongest Man competitor levered the special sledge hammer that I gave Al Myers and now rests in the Dino Gym.
One of Randy's creations. There's no hiding what Omega Force is all about! Omega Force was started in 1996 by Randy Richey and Bubba Melton. They do feats of strength showing their God-given talents and use it to entertain while delivering a Gospel message. The Mission Statement of Omega Force reads: “To be a ministry that demonstrates love and compassion in bringing forth the gospel to win the lost and to provide spiritual guidance and direction to those in need. Their purpose is to go into all the world and spread the gospel”. While some may agree or disagree with what they are about and how they do it, there is no denying the intensity the bring to their efforts. They also support being drug free and showing love to others.
Circus Dumbbell. This looks very much like the one that Al Myers made!
I had the pleasure of visiting Randy’s home gym in Kentucky a few years back. I have to say that in many ways it rivals Al’s Dino Gym! If measured by pure volume, I would say Randy has more stuff than Al! But the way Al keeps adding to his collection, that may change! At any rate, if you are in that area, it is worth the trip. Randy’s gym may be more in the sticks than Al’s so don’t think you will just “drive my it”. Randy told me he has guys that will travel hundreds of miles for their big weekend workouts!
Randy and Omega Force have been a good friend of the JWC over the years. I know that in the future both teams will continue the work they do and if the chance to work together again comes, I know I will be there. Check out their website: www.omegaforceone.com or look them up on facebook.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Roman Chair
July 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The Dino Gym's homemade Roman Chair, complete with an adjustable upper back safety pad.
Recently on the USAWA Discussion Forum, there was talk about the Roman Chair. A Roman Chair has an almost mystical name that shrouds confusion. I have seen (and read) about lifters referring to something as a Roman Chair, and when in fact, it is not a Roman Chair at all, but rather some type of Hyperextension Bench or a Glute-Ham Developer (that’s another story!). A few of the lifts that we do in the USAWA require the use of a Roman Chair to perform them so understanding what a Roman Chair is REALLY IS important. That is why I’m going to try to properly describe a Roman Chair and it’s description to the use of All Round Lifts. Like I said, some Official USAWA lifts require the use of a Roman Chair – i.e., the Roman Chair Situp, the Roman Chair Bench Press, and the Abdominal Raise on a Roman Chair.
This is an ancient medieval Roman Chair. But instead of using this chair for exercise, it was used to torture prisoners! You will read on the internet that Roman Chair exercises (namely Roman Chair Situps) are inherently dangerous amongst the general consensus of the cross fit lifting crowd. You will read some bad things about this exercise and ALL of the reasons why you shouldn’t do it. I’m not going to get into that debate here (but aren’t MOST of the All Round Lifts dangerous???, and we love them anyways!), but rather provide an accurate description, and a little history of the Roman Chair. Professor Attila is often credited with the invention of this device, as well as the Roman Column and the Roman Board (made famous by pictures of Sig Klein performing layouts using them). And speaking of Sig Klein, I have also read in his writings that he said the Professor didn’t actually invent the Roman Chair, but rather popularize the Roman Chair by it’s use in his gym. Klein had mentioned once that a Roman lifter who was visiting the Professors gym actually demonstrated exercises using a device similar to a Roman Chair, which gave the Professor the inspiration to build a Roman Chair and give it it’s name after this Roman lifter. In doing my research for this piece, I found that there actually WAS a Roman Chair in the Middle Ages. It was a chair of torture that was used up till the late 1800’s in Europe. I found this very symbolic – and could make for a good story on how the Roman Chair we use today got it’s name. Afterall, most Roman Chair All Round lifts are VERY PAINFUL and could constitute torture to some individuals! Just try doing a Roman Chair Bench Press and you will get my drift. On our USAWA YouTube account there is a video of Dave Beversdorf doing a HUGE Roman Chair Bench Press of 250 pounds (YouTube Video of Dave’s RC Bench Press), which is the top All-Time Roman Chair Bench Press in the USAWA Record List. Read some of the goofy comments regarding his video. It is obvious that these critics giving these comments have NO IDEA what is required and the back-splitting pain that is involved in doing a heavy lift like this! (the comments are so absurd that I didn’t even delete them because I found them funny, and I know ANYONE who has done this exercise would agree with me!).
Past USAWA lifting legend Howard Prechtel excelled at the Roman Chair Situp. He held the All-Time USAWA record at 738 pounds for many years. Amazingly, he did this in 1990 at the age of over 60 years!
The only description of a Roman Chair in our USAWA Rule Book falls under the rule for the Roman Chair Situp. It says, “This lift is done on a Roman Chair or similar device. The toes must be secured at floor level. The seat of the Roman Chair must be level and parallel to the platform and must not extend above the top of the buttocks when the lifter is fully laid back on the Roman Chair. A second bench of lesser height than the seat of the Roman Chair may be used for safety purposes under the lifter’s shoulders when laid back”. Not all commercial Roman Chairs would fall under this description. I have seen some where the foot pad is level with the seat, some with “rounded” seats, and some with even inclined/declined seats. These types of Roman Chairs would not be legal for use in the execution of the USAWA lifts. The Roman Chair I have in the Dino Gym is one that I made. It works very well, and is of a very simple design. The seat is 12″ by 24″, the seat sits 20″ high, the Chair is 4 feet long, and it contains an adjustable safety back support. The feet can be braced on a bar positioned at floor level.
There is nothing more “old school” than training on a Roman Chair. And if it was good enough for the Professor – it is good enough for me!
Categories: USAWA Daily News USAWA Records using the Roman Chair
July 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dino Gym member Brian Krenzin is the ONLY LIFTER who has a USAWA record in the Abdominal Raise on the Roman Chair. His record lift of 60 pounds was done at the 2009 Dino Gym Record Day.
Yesterday I described and discussed the Roman Chair. Today I would like to tell you about the USAWA Records that have been set with the use of a Roman Chair. As I said yesterday, there are three USAWA Official Lifts that require the use of a Roman Chair in order to do them – the Abdominal Raise on a Roman Chair, the Roman Chair Bench Press, and the Roman Chair Situp. In looking over the record list on these lifts, it seems that there are alot of “empty spots” in the list. Most all of the records were set at record day competitions. Only one meet has contested any of these Roman Chair exercises, and that was the No Weight Dozen held by Bill Clark in 1999 and 2000. Only one woman has EVER peformed a Roman Chair lift, and that is Cindy Garcia at a record day in Clark’s Gym in 1988. So – at your next record day give one of these Roman Chair lifts a try and join this small group of lifters who have experienced the PAIN of the ROMAN CHAIR!
Overall USAWA Records in the Abdominal Raise on the Roman Chair DIVISION WT CLASS RECORD LIFTER
Men 125+ 60 Brian Krenzin
Overall USAWA Records in the Roman Chair Bench Press
DIVISION WT CLASS RECORD LIFTER
Women 65 45 Cindy Garcia
Men 70 135 Kyle Achenbach
Men 75 135 John Monk
Men 80 115 James Muzzy
Men 90 75 Denny Habecker
Men 95 100 Lewis Heater
Men 105 210 Steve Schmidt
Men 110 85 Bill Clark
Men 115 200 Al Myers
Men 125+ 250 Dave Beversdorf
Overall USAWA Records in the Roman Chair Situp
DIVISION WT CLASS RECORD LIFTER
Men 75 110 Dennis Mitchell
Men 80 22 Abe Smith
Men 95 100 Lewis Heater
Men 110 738 Howard Prechtel Men 115 45 Bill Clark
Men 120 1000 Al Myers
Men 125 905 Al Myers
Men 125+ 65 Casey Clark
NOTES: Wt class is bodyweight class in kilograms. Records are listed in pounds.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
WAYNE SMITH ENCOUNTER
July 29, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
WAYNE SMITH IS THE AGELESS WONDER! THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS WAYNE IN 1956, AND THE THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS WAYNE IN FRONT OF THE SAME OAK TREE IN 1998!
WE ALL HAVE HAD OUR “DUMBASS” MOMENTS. I, FOR ONE, SEEM TO HAVE A PENCHANT FOR THEM! MY LATEST ‘FAUX PAS’ WAS IN KIRKSVILLE AT THE USAWA NATIONALS. HOWEVER, A LITTLE BACKGROUND IS IN ORDER BEFORE I GO MUCH FURTHER. I HAVE A BACK ROUND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. I HAD A TOTAL OF 18 ½ YEARS SERVICE TO A SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AND THEN AT THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS A RESERVE. WITH THAT SERVICE CAME LOTS OF TRAINING. A POINT THAT WAS EMPHASIZED TO US WAS TO BE ‘AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS’ AND ‘LOOK FOR THE UNUSUAL OR SOMEONE OR SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF PLACE’. I ALWAYS FELT THAT, FOR AN ‘ALMOST COP’, I WAS PRETTY GOOD AT IT. THIS ONE TRAIT, THAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF, IS WHAT BRINGS US BACK TO THE STORY AT HAND.
AT THE NATIONALS, THE WARM UP AREA WAS RIGHT NEXT TO A LARGE, OPEN DOOR THAT LEAD INTO THE GYM ITSELF. I WAS IN THE WARM UP AREA WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL CAUGHT MY EYE. HE WAS ELDERLY, VERY SLIGHT AND APPEARED TO BE, SOMEWHAT, FRAGILE. HIS OVERALLS COULDN’T HIDE THE FACT THAT HE SEEMED TO BE UNSTEADY ON HIS FEET. WHEN HE SAW ME LOOK AT HIM WITH A QUESTIONING GLANCE, HE QUICKLY LOOKED AWAY, ATTEMPTING TO BREAK EYE CONTACT. MY ‘SPIDEY SENSE’ IMMEDIATELY KICKED IN. WHAT COULD THIS OLD TIMER BE DOING HERE? WAS HE LOST? WAS HE LOOKING TO GRAB SOMETHING FROM THE VARIOUS BAGS LYING AROUND? HAD HE WANDERED OFF FROM A NURSING HOME?? I DECIDED TO TRACK THOM DOWN AND TELL HIM OF THIS “INTRUDER”!
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, I WAS DISTRACTED FROM MY HUNT BY SOMETHING OR OTHER AND WHEN I FINALLY FOUND THOM, TO MY UTTER SHOCK, HE WAS WALKING TOWARD ME AND HAD HIS ARM AROUND OUR MYSTERY MAN! APPROACHING, THOM GUIDED HIS GUEST OVER TO ME AND SAID, “DAVE, I REALLY WANT YOU TO MEET WAYNE SMITH.” WHAT THE HELL?? THE ELDER STATESMAN OF THE JACKSON WEIGHTLIFTING CLUB STUCK OUT A GRIZZLED AND LEATHERY HAND THAT I GLADLY TOOK AND FOUND A HAND SHAKE THAT, CERTAINLY, DID NOT BELONG TO A ‘FRAGILE’ INDIVIDUAL. THIS GUY WAS THE REAL DEAL AND I HAD MISTAKEN HIM FOR SOME TRANSIENT PASSERBY!! TO SAY I FELT STUPID AND FOOLISH WOULD BE THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR!
I CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT I SAID TO THIS GENTLEMAN, SOMETHING ABOUT I HAD HEARD OF HIM AND HIS LIFTING AND IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO MEET HIM. IT MOST CERTAINLY WAS MY PLEASURE… AND EMBARRASSMENT!
THIS SO REMINDS ME OF A STORY I READ YEARS AGO IN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. A VENERABLE, OLDER ARM WRESTLER WALKED INTO A GYM WHERE A COMPETITION WAS BEING HELD. HE WENT RIGHT BY A LARGE, HEAVILY MUSCLED YOUNG MAN THAT WAS TAKING TICKETS AT THE DOOR. WHEN THE YOUNGER MAN GRABBED THE MAN’S ARM, HE GROWLED, “IT’S TWO BUCKS TO SEE THE SHOW, POPS!!” TO WHICH THE OLDER GENTLEMEN SIMPLY SAID, “I AM THE SHOW, SONNY!”
MR. WAYNE SMITH COULD HAVE SAID THE SAME THING TO ME………
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Atomic Athletic Meet
June 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2011 ATOMIC ATHLETIC TRACTOR PULL WEEKEND MEET
SATURDAY AUGUST 20th, 2011
Meet Director: Roger LaPointe
Contact: email – [email protected] phone – (419)-352-5100
Location: TBA, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Sanction: USAWA Membership Required
Weigh-Ins: 10 AM, Saturday, August 20th, 2011
Divisions: Juniors, Women, Masters and Open
Awards: Medals for 1st five places by formula
Entry: $20 Make Payment to Atomic Athletic (Includes Official Meet T-shirt and Poster)
Lifts: One Hand Deadlift, Clean and Push Press, Trap Bar Deadlift
Send entry form and fees to: Atomic Athletic 500 Lehman Ave, Suite 21 Bowling Green, OH 43402
DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS AUGUST 15, 2011 IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AN AWARD. WALK-INS ARE OTHERWISE ALSO WELCOME.
For a pdf of the entry form – Atomic Athletic Meet Entry Form
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Dino Days Record Day
June 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
DINO DAYS RECORD DAY
Meet Director: Al Myers and the Dino Gym
Meet Date: Sunday, August 28th, 2011 10:00 AM-4:00PM
Location: Dino Gym, Abilene, Kansas
Sanction: USAWA
Entry Form: None – just show up
Entry Fee: None
Lifts: Record Day – Pick any lifts you can set a USAWA record in!
Contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Team Nationals
June 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
At last year's Team Nationals, Dino Gym members Mark Mitchell and Scott Tully performed a 450 pound Maxey Press, a lift named in the memory of longtime Dino Gym member Bob Maxey. Chad Ullom and myself attempted to spot this big lift, but as you tell by the look on Chad's face that our spot probably would have been useless if needed!! 450 pounds at arms length overhead is not something you would want to try to catch!
The date has been set for the Dino Gym’s Annual Dino Days. It is the weekend of the 27th and 28th of August. I had to move it up a few weeks this year (from the middle of September) due to other conflicting competitions in the area in September. This year Dino Days will be solely committed to the USAWA – with the USAWA Team Nationals being contested on Saturday and a USAWA Record Day on Sunday. This will be the 5th year the Team National Championships has been contested (the first in 2007). Last year we had the biggest turnout of lifters for it than ever before, and I’m hoping this year will be even better!
Team Nationals 2011
Meet Director: Al Myers and the Dino Gym 785-479-2264
Meet Date: Saturday, August 27th, 2011 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Dino Gym, 1126 Eden Road, Abilene, KS 67410 Sanction: U.S.A.W.A Memberships may be purchased on meet day
Weigh-ins: 9:00 – 10:00 AM the day of the meet
Divisions: 2-Man, 2-Person, and 2-Woman
Each division will be formula adjusted for weight and age
Entry Fee: None
Lifts:
Press – Dumbbell, One Arm
Snatch – Fulton Bar
Continental to Chest and Jerk
Deadlift – 2 Bars
(After meet there will be a record day for Team Lifts only)
Registration: Send entry to Al Myers, 1126 Eden Road, Abilene, Kansas 67410
For a pdf document of the Entry Form – TeamNationals2011
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
New England RB Day
August 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Frank Ciavattone
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT NEW ENGLAND RECORD BREAKER DAY
This meet will be held at my home, which is also the home of Frank’s Barbell Club. Entry fee is free and weigh in will be from 9am-10am, with the meet starting at 11 am. Medals will be given to all competitors, and the meet will be followed by a cookout and refreshments. All lifters must be 2011 USAWA members. This should be a fun, old-fashioned New England USAWA record day, with records and fun as the main goal. If anyone needs more information, feel free to call or email me.
Meet Director: Frank Ciavattone Jr. Location: Frank’s Barbell Club 204 East Street Walpole, Massachusetts, 02032
Date: Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Entry form and fees: None
Sanction: USAWA, must be a current member to participate
Contact: phone: (508)-668-5200 email: [email protected]
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Ledaig Record Breaker
August 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS WEEKEND AND RECORD BREAKER DAY
Group picture of participants in the 2011 Ledaig Record Breakers. (front left to right): Amber Glasgow, Molly Myers, Mike Murdock (back left to right): Dave Glasgow, Al Myers, Thom Van Vleck, Chad Ullom SUNDAY, 31 JULY-2011 SAW SEVEN STRENGTH AFICIONADOS CONVERGE ON THE GLASGOW HOMESTEAD TO TEST THEIR ENDURANCE AGAINST THE WEIGHTS, AS WELL AS THE HEAT. THIS RECORD BREAKERS DAY HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE ANNUAL “SWEAT FEST” FOR GOOD REASON. TEMPERATURES IN JULY CAN BE BRUTAL IN SOUTHERN KANSAS AND THIS DAY WAS NO DIFFERENT.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT FOUR OF THESE ATHLETES PARTICIPATED IN THE LEDAIG HIGHLAND GAMES THE DAY PRIOR. NINE EVENTS IN LESS THAN SEVEN HOURS DRAINED A LOT OF ENERGY BUT NOT WILLPOWER FROM THOSE THAT WERE ‘DOUBLE DIPPING’. AT 71 YEARS OLD, MIKE MURDOCK, WHO IS A STAPLE AT THE LEDAIG FACILITY, IS THE OLDEST OF OUR PARTICIPANTS. YOU KNOW HE HAD TO HAVE SLEPT WELL THAT NIGHT!! CHAD ULLOM, THOM VAN VLECK AND AMBER GLASGOW WERE THE OTHERS WHO SAW ACTION BOTH DAYS. BELIEVE ME, IT’S TAKES SOMETHING EXTRA TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO DO THIS EVENT BOTH DAYS. ROUNDING OUT THE CROWD WERE AL AND MOLLY MYERS, AS WELL AS EVENT COORDINATOR, DAVE GLASGOW.
FOLLOWING ARE THE TOTAL RECORDS BROKEN BY THE COMBATANTS:
AL MYERS – 9 AMBER GLASGOW – 8 CHAD ULLOM - 6 MOLLY MYERS - 6 MIKE MURDOCK - 5 THOM VAN VLECK - 4 DAVE GLASGOW - 3
TOTAL RECORDS – 41
GRACIOUS HOSTS ‘UNC’ KENNY GLASGOW AND AUNT JO GLASGOW PROVIDED THE VENUE AS WELL AS A FINE MEAL FOLLOWING THE EVENT. WE WERE TREATED TO ANOTHER PULLED PORK LUNCH WITH ALL THE FIXIN’S AND GIVEN HONORED SEATS AT THE MAIN TABLE. THIS WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL PARTICIPANTS!!
WE WILL DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. PLAN FOR IT IN JULY!! AFTER ALL, IT WOULDN’T BE THE ‘SWEAT FEST’, WERE IT NOT IN JULY!!
SLAINTE! MEET RESULTS
Meet Director: Dave Glasgow, and the Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club Lifts: Record Day Date: July 31st, 2011 Location: Rainbow Bend, Kansas
Officials (3 official used): Al Myers, Chad Ullom, Mike Murdock, Thom Van Vleck, Dave Glasgow
Molly Myers – Age 12, BWT 156 pounds (Womens 12-13 Age Group, 75 KG Weight Class)
Deadlift – 12″ Base: 135# Deadlift – Heels Together: 135# Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip: 135# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 75# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 75# Deadlift – 2 Dumbbells: 150#
Amber Glasgow – Age 32, BWT 141 pounds (Womens 20-39 Age Group, 65 KG Weight Class)
Curl – Strict: 50# Two Hands Anyhow: 70# Press – From Rack: 70# Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, Right Arm: 35# Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, Left Arm: 35# Gardner – Half: 45# Deadlift – No Thumb, Right Arm: 95# Deadlift – No Thumb, Left Arm: 85#
Chad Ullom – Age 39, BWT 250 pounds (Mens 20-39 Age Group, 115 KG Weight Class)
Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, Left Arm: 105# Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, Right Arm: 105# Gardner – Half: 105# Snatch – On Knees: 135# Arthur Lift: 265# Hack Lift – Left Arm: 200#
Al Myers – Age 44, BWT 253 pounds (Mens 40-44 Age Group, 115 KG Weight Class)
Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Right Arm: 165# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 155# Deadlift – 2 Fulton Dumbbells: 290# Clean and Jerk – 2 Dumbbells: 150# Clean and Jerk – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 100# Clean and Jerk – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 120# Snatch – 2 Dumbbells: 150# Zercher – Left Arm: 200# Zercher – Right Arm: 200#
Thom Van Vleck – Age 47, BWT 296 pounds (Mens 45-49 Age Group, 125+ KG Weight Class)
Snatch – Left Arm: 115# Snatch – Rigth Arm: 115# Deadlift – Stiff Legged: 300# Continental to Belt: 375#
Dave Glasgow – Age 58, BWT 249 pounds (Mens 55-59 Age Group, 115 KG Weight Class)
Deadlift – Left Arm: 185# Snatch – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 95# Deadlift – 2 Bars: 370#
Mike Murdock – Age 71, BWT 231 pounds (Mens 70-74 Age Group, 105 KG Weight Class)
Bent Over Row: 185# Rectangular Fix: 75# Reflex Clean and Push Press: 105# Crucifix: 60# Squat – Front: 155#
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News Hand & Thigh Club
August 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Only three USAWA members have lifted over 1500 pounds in the Hand and Thigh in official competition. (left to right): Joe Garcia, Frank Ciavattone, and Al Myers
After posting that picture last week of Joe Garcia and his 1400# Hand and Thigh Lift at the 2011 Heavy Lift Nationals, I got to thinking. Just how many USAWA lifters have lifted over 1400 pounds in the Hand and Thigh in official competition? I have seen Joe lift over 1400 several times myself, so to me that is not an unusual or rare thing to see that much weight lifted in the Hand and Thigh. But then again, Joe is the MASTER of the Hand and Thigh (WR and All-Time Record holder with a lift of 1910 pounds) and without a doubt more times over 1400 than any other lifter ever. This “mark” of 1400 pounds seems like the “goal of excellence” in the H&T, and I “guessed” beforehand that probably not over a dozen USAWA lifters had ever achieved it. However, after I did my research I found the list much shorter than this, with only three lifters over 1500 pounds, and another 5 lifters over 1400 pounds. Only one IAWA(UK) lifter has exceeded the 1400# mark, and that was Steve Angell with his H&T lift of 1500 pounds at the 1995 World Championships.
USAWA Lifters in the 1400 H&T Club
Rank Lifter Age BWT Pounds Event
1 Joe Garcia 43 240 1910 1997 Zercher 2 Frank 40 260 1610 1995 NE Strongest Ciavattone Man
3 Al Myers 43 251 1505 2010 Deanna
4 Eric Todd 27 261 1475 2002 Deanna
5 Jim Malloy 53 244 1400 1995 Worlds
6 John Carter 38 225 1400 1996 Zercher
7 Steve Schmidt 49 220 1400 2004 Backbreaker
8 Sam Huff 23 266 1400 2005 Deanna
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Glute Ham Machine
August 3, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dino Gym member Bryce Meuli performing a Glute Ham Raise.
After my recent Daily News stories on the Roman Chair, I alluded to a similar (but much different) machine called the Glute Ham Machine (or also Glute Ham Developer, or the old name of Calf-Ham-Glute Machine). There is often confusion between the Roman Chair and the GH Machine, and I have heard lifters interchange the naming of these two distinct different apparatuses. First of all to me, they look NOTHING the same. And secondly, the muscles they work are completely different. The internet is loaded with information on GH Machines. There are many manufacturers of them – some better than others. The price tag for a good GH Machine runs from around $300 to over $1000. (there’s another difference – Roman Chairs are MUCH CHEAPER!). Most commercial gyms have a GH Machine, and the new age fitness crowd loves them. They are very popular with powerlifters and Olympic lifters as well. Dave Tate and Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell have done their part in promoting the GH Machine, embracing the many strength benefits the GH Machine offers.
The Dino Gym's homemade Glute Ham Machine.
As I said, the GH Machine works entirely different muscles than the Roman Chair. The Roman Chair primarily focuses on the abdominal muscles and the lower back, whereas the GH Machine focuses on the “posterior chain” muscles, ie the calves, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. I really feel the hamstrings are the most undertrained muscle in most strength athletes training program. Competitive lifters place most of their training emphasis on the front quads (in form of squats) and neglect the ever important opposing hamstring muscles. In my early days of training I thought just doing a few high rep sets of leg curls at the end of my leg workout would suffice, but I learned the hard lesson with suffering a few hamstring muscle tears as a result of heavy deadlifts which proved to me that my hamstrings where indeed not trained adequately, and lagged in opposing strength. The hamstring muscles are a fast twitch muscle and needs to be trained with low reps, not high reps. Plus leg curls neglect the upper hamstrings which serve as a primary hip extensor. Louie Simmons knew this before anyone else, and that is why his “secret training programs” always included hamstring exercises like the GH Raises (as well as other things like Reverse Hyper exercises and weighted drags) to strengthen this typical “weak spot” in competitive lifters. The most common exercise done on a GH Machine is the Glute Ham Raise. I don’t have enough time in this story to describe how to do this exercise – just do an internet search and you will find TONS of descriptions on how to do this exercise as well as YouTube Videos demonstrating the GH Raise.
Bryce performs a Back Extension on the Glute Ham Machine. The Back Extension is an Official USAWA Lift.
There is one detail in a good GH Machine that needs mentioned. It should contain a knee pad that keeps the knees from “dropping” at the top end of the GH Raise. I have seen several commercial GH machines that don’t have this on them. Also make sure the GH Machine adjusts adequately so each lifter can get the right settings to allow for a GH Raise to be done correctly. Another very important distinction between a GH Machine and a Hyperextension Machine is that the “pivot” should be at the knees for a GH Raise, instead of the waist as when using a Hyperextension Machine. The body should remain straight from the knees up when performing a GH Raise. My GH Machine can adjust so it can also be used to do Back Hyperextensions. The Back Extension is an Official USAWA lift, but this lift has not been contested very often. It is a tremendous lower back exercise. The main difference between a GH Raise and a Back Extension is that you bend at the waist when performing Back Extensions, and the stress of the exercise is on the lower back.
GH Raises are a difficult exercise for heavier lifters who carry alot of weight in their upper body. I use my harness “walker” as a safety device in front of me when I do GH Raises. I do this so if I have problems on my last reps, I can push off the walker with my arms to finish the rep. GH Raises are one of my THREE FAVORITE hamstring exercises (and leg curls is not on my list!). You will feel the entire range of the hamstring muscle engaged (from the knees to the hips) with GH Raises, and afterwards you will feel the effects of your training in your ENTIRE hamstring. I also want to mention that GH Raises are a great exercise for young lifters who want to increase their vertical leap. The muscles of the hamstrings and calves are the biggest players in leaping ability, and this exercise focuses intently on these important leaping muscles. I don’t normally use added resistance when doing GH Raises, but it can be done easily with holding a plate on the chest. I feel the best rep ranges are between 5 and 8 repetitions with the GH Raise. If you have access to a GH Machine, give this exercise a try!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Bobby Dodd
August 4, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
Bobby Dodd doing his favorite lift, the deadlift by Thom Van Vleck
Bobby Dodd has been a friend of mine for many years. Al Myers has known Bobby even longer, throwing with him in the late 80’s. Bobby has been a friend of all strength sports since I have known him. I know for a fact if he lived near some all rounders he’d take a keen interest in the USAWA. I wanted to give the guy some credit for his amazing career in strength sports.
Bobby Dodd is a legend in Highland Games Athletics in the United States. Not only as an athlete, though he has competed in probably more states in the U.S. and provinces in Canada than any other thrower ever, but as a true friend to the sport. This has all been done with his usual quiet reserve letting his actions speak for him over words. His contributions rival any other and I thought it was time he was recognized for his impact.
Bobby Dodd’s involvement in Scottish Highland Games Athletics has spanned over 40 years. His parents were born in Scotland and he was exposed the Highland Games at an early age. He told me that when he was getting out of the Navy he made a “to do” list and turning a caber was in the top ten. This led to his first foray into competition was in 1969 at the Santa Monica Highland Games where he walked on for a caber only event and he found himself hooked on the sport. He realized right away he needed to get stronger and this led to his powerlifting career.
Bobby Dodd throwing in the Scottish Highland Games
The real reason that I wanted to write this story is to convey what a sportsman Bobby is and his valuable contribution to the sport he loves. His influence goes beyond competition, judging, or the equipment he sells. He has made many friends, brought so many into the sport he loves, but most importantly has set a standard of sportsmanship for all who have followed that has become part of why many enjoy the competitions today. Some simply show up and compete and enjoy the fruits of the hard work put into making things happen. Others work hard to make it happen. Bobby has done it all!
Bobby began competing in Scottish Athletics in 1980. His favorite event was the hammer throw. But he found equipment hard to come by. As a result, he contacted a local foundry about making some hammer heads for his personal use. The expense was in making the mold and once the mold was made it was a cheaper process to make more, so Bobby started selling them to recoup the cost of the mold. Eventually, this led to the development of Mjolnir hammers and a complete line of throwing weights for distance and height for the Games. This endeavor was called “Hevy Gear”. Bobby has had his equipment used at well over 100 highland Games in North America, and even Iceland and New Zealand.
Bobby, like many of us, first started giving back to the sport by judging. He first judged in 1984. He did this off and on for many years and became an SAAA certified judge in 1997. Since that time Bobby has judged at the Pro World Championships, Women’s World championships, Masters World Championships, North American Championships and numerous other Games from the local and regional level.
Bill Anderson (r) is one of the greatest Highland Games throwers of all time and maybe the greatest hammer thrower of all time. Bobby (l) sponsored the combined Scottish Hammers trophy for the Masters World Championships and named it after Bill. This was taken a the Masters World Championships in Scotland.
In 2004, I traveled to compete in my first Masters World Championships. When we arrived, there was a mix up on judges and we were short. Since many of the athletes there were also certified judges or had years of experience, they asked for volunteers. I recall thinking I had travelled half way across the country and didn’t want to miss out on the competition, but Bobby, who was there to compete, offered to judge. He sacrificed so others could throw! I’ll never forget that and it’s just one example of how Bobby has given back to the sport that has given him so much.
I have another more personal connection with Bobby. That is being a United States Marine. Bobby was in the Navy and often having a military service connection makes for close friendships. It has not escaped my notice that Bobby wears the Marine Corp tartan proudly and supports servicemen and women whenever he can.
Bill Scruggs, one of the founding members of the Masters World Championships in Highland Games, told me that Bobby was very supportive in the early days of the MWC. Bobby not only donated hammers to be used, he developed the Master’s Hammer Aggregate trophy. It was a traveling trophy awarded based on the aggregate of both heavy and light hammers thrown in the MWC. While this award is no longer contested, it led to the current aggregate system used in the MWC to determine the best overall hammer thrower, weight for distance thrower, and stone putter. Bobby has sponsored many other awards to further the sport.
Ryan Vierra, multi Pro World Champion in Scottish Highland Games, said:
“I consider Bobby Dodd one of the most influential people of our sport, past and present. Bobby has provided his valuable time to consult with games, and countless hours judging, as well as providing games all over the world with standardized equipment. When I started the games in 1987 Bobby was one of the athletes that welcomed me into the sport and I consider him a great friend and key asset to the future of our sport.”
Sean Betz, 2008 Pro World Highland Games Champ said:
“ Bobby is a great guy who always is in tune of what’s going on in the sport of highland games. He takes a lot of pride is his equipment. One of things I will always remember about Bobby is how he e-mailed me about his deadlift program. Bobby had just been getting done with cancer treatment and is getting up there in age. I was shocked as he is still up in the 400lb range for deadlifts and was very serious about increasing it. A true highland games warrior and a great heart for the sport and for people.”
I competed at the North American Championships near Seattle, Washington in 2010 and Bobby was a judge there. After the games were over, we enjoyed a libation together and talked about our love for the sport. Bobby pulled out a huge scrap book. I expected that it would be full of his own exploits, but instead it had dozens, maybe hundreds, of newspaper clippings of some the greatest ever to turn a caber! He called it his “History of the Highland Games” and it’s a work in progress.
I was speaking with Steve Conway, the Athletic Director of the Caledonian Club of San Francisco Highland Games (one of the oldest and biggest Games in North America) about Bobby. Steve talked about throwing with Bobby and Mike Qutermous starting in the early 80’s and the fun they had. He also pointed out how the CCSF Games had used Dodd’s equipment for years and wondered out loud how many world records and games records had been set with Bobby’s equipment. Steve also pointed out that Bobby often donated awards and equipment and donated women’s weights often just to get a Games to add women’s events!
Two photos, both of Cindy and Bobby Dodd. One in 1971 and the other in 2009. Over 40 years of Highland Games attendance!
Whenever Bobby Dodd’s name was mentioned, I heard words like “friend”, “mainstay”, “heart” and “influential”. Sometimes those that do the most aren’t recognized for their efforts. Bobby Dodd one of those guys. It would be my hope to be more like Bobby. I want to give back more than I take from the sport I love, make lots of friends, and have a lot of fun in the process.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Welcome to the Century Club Chad and Rudy!
August 5, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Chad Ullom "in action" at the Ledaig Record Breakers last weekend. Chad is the only lifter in the Century Club that has done ALL of his USAWA records in the Senior Division.
I predicted this would happen this summer as Chad Ullom and Rudy Bletscher have been “knocking on the door” of joining the Century Club. The Century Club is a club that recognizes the elite group of USAWA lifters that CURRENTLY hold over 100 USAWA Records. However, it didn’t happen exactly as I thought it would. I predicted it would take place last weekend at Dave’s Ledaig Record Breaker. This was the case for Chad but not for Rudy. Rudy was not able to attend. At the time, I thought it would take another day for him to make this milestone accomplishment (and a little more effort after watching Rudy’s nemesis Mike Murdock take down a couple of Rudy’s records at the Ledaig Record Breaker), but I forgot at the time that at the 2011 Annual General Meeting of the USAWA in June it was voted and passed by the membership to retroactively implement the records set at the 2011 Dino Gym Old-Time Strongman Challenge since the lifts in that competition were approved as new USAWA lifts at the meeting. So Rudy is IN on his prior performances! Chad knocked down several new records at the Ledaig Record Breakers putting him in as well. We celebrated this accomplishment after he broke the USAWA Record in the Snatch on the Knees with a lift of 135 pounds. Coincidentally, both these lifters now stand at 107 USAWA records, which put them at a tie at the number 19 spot out of 21 lifters in the club. Chad is the only lifter on the list that has done ALL of his records competing in the Senior Division (which makes him only eligible for OVERALL RECORDS). This makes his accomplishment all that more impressive. If you are in the Junior Division or Masters Division you have the opportunity to “double dip” on records, which means you may set or break an age group record and an overall record with the same lift. This helps tremendously with “padding” your record count number. I counted back through the USAWA Record list and Chad’s sits NUMBER TWO in OVERALL RECORDS (not age group records) with his 107 (and all I will say about the guy at number 1 is that he has 141 overall records, and Chad knows him quite well as he is his training partner! ).
There are several other lifters close to joining the Century Club that I’m keeping an eye on. But just because you get in the club doesn’t mean that you can “sit back” and revel in your accomplishment, and spend too much time “patting yourself on the back”, because if others break enough of your records you can fall out of it. This has happened (and it bothers me to see it) to a couple of legendary lifters in the USAWA recently, so you must keep up your involvement in the USAWA to “maintain your spot” in the Century Club. Congratulations to Rudy and Chad – I’m very proud of both of you two, and you deserve this recognition.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
New Official – Judy Habecker
August 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Judy Habecker performing a Ciavattone Grip Deadlift at the 2010 Gold Cup in Walpole, MA.
I just received word from the USAWA Official’s Director Joe Garcia that Judy Habecker has passed the USAWA Rules Exam and is now a Level 1 Test Qualified USAWA Official. I just placed Judy’s name on our ever growing list of officials. I now feel sorry for the lifters in Habeckers Gym, because with Judy in the chair there won’t be any “shoddy” lifts passed. When I was sitting by Judy at our past USAWA Nationals (I was the announcer and she was the scorekeeper), it was obvious to me that Judy had a keen sense of the rules. She ALWAYS KNEW what the infraction was when a lift wasn’t passed. A few times she felt that certain shouldn’t have been passed! (and a couple of times it was when her husband Denny was lifting! haha). Like I said already, I now feel sorry for the lifters in Habeckers Gym! I know Judy will make a great judge, and all I can say is IT IS ABOUT TIME she became an USAWA official! There has been some confusion in the past with the thinking you must be a competitive lifter to be an official. This is just not true. There is NOTHING in our rules or bylaws saying this must be the case. I’m not inferring that Judy is not a competitive lifter either – she often makes a least one appearance to the platform every year. She has USAWA records dating back to 2001, and is the holder of 30 USAWA Records. She is most proud of her 304 pound 12″ base deadlift done at the 2005 Gold Cup in Hawaii. Congratulations Judy!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Rulebook 5th Edition Now Available
August 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The USAWA Rulebook 5 Edition
The 5th Edition USAWA Rulebook is now available on the website. As voted on by the membership at the 2011 AGM, the new rulebook became effective August 1st. The Rulebook is free to download from the website. I do want to warn you that the Rulebook file is a large one (over 4MB in a pdf) and may take a while to download depending on your connection speed. It contains over 80 pictures of various lifts, with most of them in color. I will have the Rulebook available in a bound hard copy if anyone wants to order one. Just email me at [email protected] if you prefer it this way. I plan to go to the printer shop at the end of the month, so that is the deadline. I don’t have a cost yet for it, but plan to just “take orders” and sell it at the price it takes to get printed. The price depends mostly on whether or not I have it printed with color. Black and white is the cheapest way to go (which I had done last year) and the price will be in the $30 range. Color print will at least double this. I also have the summary of the 2011 Rulebook changes/additions/substractions posted on the website so if you already have a prior Rulebook and just want to print off those pages to add as a “loose leaf” addition, that might be a good way to go as well. I also have the 2010 Rulebook changes posted. All the new approved lifts this year are included in the Rulebook Changes file. The Rulebook was completely overhauled in the Third Edition so you will want to have at least that edition to be somewhat current.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Training with Friends
August 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Thom and I lifting the previous "unliftable" Combine Axle on a Tuesday night workout.
I am very fortunate by having great training partners. We may only all train together as a full group a couple of times per week, but these are the days I look forward to the most. A good training partner will bring out the best in you (and vice versa a bad training partner will pull you down), because during the workout you don’t want to let them down by giving nothing but your best effort. I do several of my weekly workouts by myself, and I can tell you from experience, when “things are going good” you can have great workouts by yourself, it is just on those days that you are not feeling in top form that your workouts will suffer when training by yourself. The Dino Gym is a family – we support each other even when one of us is not having our best day, and usually before the workout is over, the workout takes a turn for the better and this lifter ends up having a great workout. This is what good training partners should do – help one another and in turn get that extra encouragement back when needed. Often when one of us is getting ready for a big lift or set, everyone will stop lifting and just spend all our energy supporting the lifter on the platform. I get “a rush” when someone else gets a big lift or personal record, just as if I had done it myself!
This past week I got to work out with my good friend Thom Van Vleck. Thom and I only get to train together once or twice per year because Thom lives 8 hours from me (he says it is only 6 hours, but I don’t believe him). We put aside our rival gym differences when training together, and ALWAYS have a great workout. Just recently I acquired a very large combine axle with a solid shaft of over 3.5 inches. My father found it in his scrape iron pile and brought it down to me using his front end loader tractor, and dumped it in front of the gym. It was much larger than what I had imagined, and I knew that it would beyond what any normal man could lift, so I didn’t even weigh it. I “guessed” it to be in the 800- 1200# range based on the strain it was putting on the loader when it was set down. Several gym guys have looked at it, including many strongman who showed up for my strongman competition a couple of weeks ago. You KNOW it must have been an intimidating sight because it was in front of the gym for 3 weeks and NOT ONCE did anyone put their hands on it, or try to lift it. When Thom and I started our workout, I TOLD Thom that we were going to lift that HUGE combine axle tonight, as a joint 2 man team. I was trying to portray confidence that we could do it, but secretly I had my doubts (especially with his end, haha). On top of the weight, the grip was going to be problem. Thom agreed (because he knew I would not let him forget about wimping out if he didn’t). We warmed up with some heavy Trap Bar Deadlifts, and then took our shot at being the first to lift what seemed previously like an unliftable object. Relief soon rushed though our muscles as it came to lockout without an overdose of strain on either of our parts. Experiences and memories like this is what has me “hooked” on weight training. So there is my advice of the day – enjoy your workouts, enjoy your training partners, and take the time to test your strength in unusual ways. And THAT is what it should be all about!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Mail Order Muscles
August 9, 2011 | Authored by Dennis Mitchell | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
Joe Bonomo
Many old time strongmen supplemented their income by offering a muscle building course by mail. The most successful being Charles Alas. A contemporary of Charles Atlas was Joe Bonomo. He learned the mail order muscle business from Charles. Joe Bonomo was born in Coney Island on December 25, 1901. His parents were Al and Esther Bonomo, who ran an ice cream and candy shop on Coney Island. Due to his father’s business, Joe had a very sweet but nutritionally poor diet. In spite of lots of ice cream, candy, and other sweets, Joe was a very skinny child and had the nick name of toothpick. Joe was pretty much of a loner and spent a lot of time exploring the attractions of Coney Island, Dreamland, and Luna Park. He was fascinated by the various carnival attractions. It was while exploring the various attractions that he met, Ladeslaw, a Polish strong man. Ladeslaw took a liking to Joe,and told him that he could become strong if he would work hard, start eating right, and have a positive attitude. Following the Strongman’s advice, Joe rapidly went from “Tooth pick” to the school’s star football player, and a very good gymnast. Living on Coney Island Joe met every strong man and wrestler who came to perform, including Eugene Sandow, and Charles Atlas who became his friend and mentor. There were also people from many other attractions, including movie stars, dancers, and show people. He grew up in a world glamor and make believe. He felt that to be a success he would combine his physical, mental, and spiritual abilities.
This was one of the many books written by Joe Bonomo in order to give lifting pupils "mail order muscles". After he graduated from school he entered a talent search for “The Modern Apollo”. With the help and guidance of Charles Atlas he was able to beat out over 5,000 other contestants and won a part in a motion picture. This led to parts in many motion pictures as both an actor and as a stunt man. He even played the part of Tarzan in 1928 movie. He became so popular that he had to hire people to help him answer his fan mail. Much of his mail was requesting information on how he developed his body. This was the beginning of his mail order muscle building courses. With the advent of the talkies (Joe had only acted in silent movies) Joe, even with voice and elocution lessons could not get rid of his Brooklyn accent. Sadly his stunt man career ended when he broke his hip in a car crash scene. He had broken thirty seven bones during his stunt man career. Leaving the glamor life of Hollywood was very hard for Joe. More adversary followed when Charles Ludwig, the man who ran Joe’s mail order muscle building business, died. Shortly after, Joe’s father also passed away. Joe took over running both businesses. Always looking for new ventures Joe teamed up with Tony Bruno, a well known Hollywood photographer. They settled in New York and put out a magazine called Beautify your Figure. This was in 1939. It was so successful that they published another magazine called Figure Beautiful. It not only had information on diet and exercise, but also skin care, dancing instructions, social instruction, and information on romance and feminine fulfillment, and most important, how to have an alluring bust. He also published many “Mini-books”, which were small size books that could fit in your pocket. They sold for twenty five cents. They covered muscle building, make up, how to be a better host, birth control, the evils of drug use, and how to simplify house work. Some of his books stayed in print for thirty tears. One of his last books was, “What I Know About Women, By Joe Bonomo”. It contained sixty four blank pages. He continued publishing into the 1970’s, until the Joe Weider publications overtook him.
Joe Bonomo, man of many talents, died in Los Angeles March 20,1979.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Lack of News
August 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Everyone was amazed when Thom opened with a World Record attempt in the sheep toss.
The “dog days” of summer are upon us, and with that has come a lull in USAWA News. We have hashed over the National Championships enough already, and it’s time to put that behind us. I have said all I can say about the changes that were instigated at the Annual National Meeting. I must be going through a “writers block” because for the first time I can’t think of any interesting topics to write about. Not that my stories are all that interesting anyhow, but at least they fill the pages of the USAWA Daily News with something. I really thought by now I would be receiving “stories by the bucket loads” from those wanting to see their words of wisdom in print on this website and I could just sit back and be the editor, and enjoy the “good life” of being in charge of what makes it to the press! It doesn’t seem to be working out that way, and now I could use a break. So until things pick up (and they will with the busy fall all round schedule in front of us) I’m going to be doing a couple weeks of “reruns” here in the USAWA Daily News. AND NO – I’m not going to be that lazy to rerun prior website stories, but instead some old articles that were in the Braemar Stone Tablet. The BST (short for Braemar Stone Tablet) was a newsletter published for around a half dozen years by none other than Thom Van Vleck covering several subjects of interest, with the intent being on the Highland Games. It often contained good stories on training that could be applied to an All Rounder, stories covering different Highland Games, and stories containing Thom’s attempts at humor (I found some of them funny, but then I share Thom’s sense of humor!!). I even asked Thom if this would be acceptable to him for me to “rerun” these stories, and he has given me his permission to do so. It was big of me to ask, because when it comes to Thom I usually don’t do that! For those 25 people who were subscribers to the BST I apologize for this redundancy of material, and if you want to take a couple weeks break from the USAWA Website as well as me, you have my permission.
Consider this a “vacation” for the USAWA Daily News.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Just for Laughs: Lifting Etiquette
August 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
I found this list for gym “etiquette” on the internet. As if it is not funny enough by itself, I have added my own comments.
1. Don’t sit on a machine you’re using or when you’re between sets. Let a fellow gym member “work in” (alternate) with you. If someone else is using equipment that you have your eye on, feel free to say, “Mind if I work in with you?” It’s perfectly acceptable for you to change the weight setting or seat level; just be sure to restore them after your set.
Thom sez: First, if you’re using machines that is your first problem. Second, if you did and some guy wants to work in then he better have the nads to say something better than “mind if I work in with you?” I would pimp slap him.
2. Keep your grunting to a minimum. Sure, a weight room isn’t a public library, but it’s not a championship wrestling arena, either. “Some of these guys scream like it’s the equivalent of male childbirth,” Gostigian says. Loud noises not only distract other gym members but alert them to the fact that you’re lifting more weight than you can handle.
Thom sez: I thought the whole idea of lifting weights was to lift more than you can handle so that you get stronger. While I laugh at guys who grunt and groan with 225 on the squat I am pretty sure that I am not going to mess with the guy that screams while slamming 600 for 5. I expect loud noises at a gym like I expect dead bats at an Ozzy Osbourne concert. If you don’t like it, then don’t go and get a nordic track or one of those bowflex things.
(webmaster’s comments: The use of illustrations such as an Ozzy Osbourne concert, nordic track, and bowflex really shows your age Thom! But I do want to hear more about the concept of male childbirth. )
3. Don’t tote around your gym bag. That’s what lockers are for. “Gym bags on the floor are a hazard,” St. Michael says, ” Plus they take up space, and the gym’s crowded enough as it is.”
Thom sez: My gym bag is my armor and weapons supply. It is a part of me. I knew a cop that carried a 9 mm in his gym bag (not sure why). Besides, locker rooms aren’t safe.
4. Don’t drop your weights. When you’re finished using a set of dumbbells, gently place them on the ground. “I’ve seen people drop their dumbbells from four feet in the air,” Tucson trainer Steve Canis says. “It’s a macho thing.” It’s also a dangerous thing; the weights can bounce around and break someone’s toes.
Thom sez: Good Lord!!!!! You try setting a 600 pound deadlift down like a feather or a pair of 100 pound dumbbells after a set of cheat curls. I don’t know about you, but I give it all to the lift with little regard to leave a little to treat the weights like fine china.
(webmaster’s comments: dumbbell cheat curls???? REALLY??? You do those????)
5. Keep your sweat to yourself. Carry a towel and wipe off the equipment when you’re finished. “Some people leave a puddle of sweat on the bench they’ve just used – it’s disgusting,” Gostigian says. Thom sez: Sweating….in the gym… how uncouth. How are you supposed to clean it up when you ain’t got your gym bag? I guess you could cover your body in “Secret”.
(webmaster’s comments: I’ve lifted with you before, and the use of a little deodorant would help a little with your BO. It doesn’t make you less of a man to abandon the smell.)
6. Unload your weight bar. Don’t assume that the next person who comes along has the ability or desire to clean up after you. “A lot of guys leave heavy weight plates on a barbell and then walk away,” Gostigian says. “But for most people, just lifting those 45 pound weights is a challenge.” By the same token, a guy bench pressing 225 pounds isn’t going to want to bother removing someone’s 10 pound weight plates.
Thom sez: If somebody leaves the bar loaded up, then that’s wrong, but if I ever walk into the gym and say, “Hey, who left these 10’s on the bar?” Who’s going to claim that? Maybe the 13 year old in the corner mortified beyond belief? “Hey, kid, maxin’ out again??”
NEXT ISSUE, PART TWO OF GYM ETIQUETTE.
CREDIT: Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #1
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Just for Laughs: Gym Etiquette Part 2
August 13, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Here is the rest of the list of Gym Etiquette that I made fun of last issue.
7. Don’t hog the drinking fountain. “If you have seven people waiting in line behind you, don’t start filling up your two gallon jug,” St. Michael says.
Thom sez: You want some water, pansy? Then come and get it ’cause it’s cold, tasty, and quite satisfying here at the head of the line!!! And my gallon jug ain’t full yet!
(Webmasters note: and THAT explains why you are always ALSO standing in line for the toilet instead of lifting!) 8. Observe the gym’s time limits on the cardiovascular equipment. Many clubs restrict you to 20 or 30 minutes on the treadmills, bikes, and stairclimbers during rush hour.
Thom sez: Cardio-what? Never heard of it. Oh, that. Well that’s why God invented the internal combustion engine and the elevator. I did enough “cardio” in the Marine Corps to last me for the rest of my life. I did my lungs enough of a favor by never smoking.
(Webmasters note: Your satire is starting to rival that of Bill Clark!!!)
9. Return your weights to the rack. If you leave dumbbells on the floor, someone may trip over them, or the weights may roll onto someone’s toes. Be sure to place them back in their proper spots. No one should have to waste 10 minutes hunting for the 15 pound dumbbells, only to find them sitting between the 40s and the 50s.
Thom sez: I usually find the hundreds right were I left them the last time I used them, but for the guy looking for the 15’s…..well he can just consider that part of his cardio work!!!
10. Exercise courtesy in the locker room. Don’t take up three lockers and spread your clothing over an entire bench, forcing other people to put on their socks while standing up. “People will rip off their sweaty clothes and run into the shower, leaving their undergarments all over the place,” St. Micheal says.
Thom sez: I can’t help it if my shoulders are that wide (or my butt), but they really should make those damn lockers bigger. And any one that uses the term “undergarments” needs to be pimp slapped. Do you think “St. Micheal” is his real name or is it Ernie Abramowitz who had to go Hollywood to get some respect?
(Webmasters note: I got a good story about a guy I know who would leave his dirty “undergarments” laying around at other people’s houses. He would just go home and leave his stinky undershorts under the bed. But I’m not going to give out his name as to avoid embarrassment. )
11. Be courteous in exercise classes. Don’t show up late or distract the class by creating your own workout routine. And play nice! ” In New York City, people will get in fights over spinning bikes,” Gostigian says. “It turns into a boxing class instead of a cycling class”
Thom sez: One time my uncle was challenged by a boxer who told him he was going to teach him a lesson that weightlifting makes you slow. My uncle waited until the other guy put his gloves on and then kicked his A$$ bare fisted WWF style. I assume this part of New York City is not Greenwich Village. And PLEASE…..exercise class…. do I need to comment?
12. Watch where you’re going. “People are oblivious to what’s going on around them, “St. Micheal says. “Sometimes when I’m doing lateral movements for my shoulders, someone will walk right by me and I’ll almost hit them. Weight lifting should not be a contact sport”.
Thom sez: These are just getting better and better. So are you then supposed to turn around and say, “Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?” Where I come from the guy lifting has the right of way if you are dumb enough to walk under a 500 lb squat then please say hello to the accountant on the first floor when the bar drops on your little pin head and rams it down there.
TRUE STORY: I used to work out with this guy that owned the gym we worked out in so he could abuse the hell out of his own equipment. One day he was doing deadlifts (on the second story of an old warehouse converted to office space) and dropping them from arms length at the end of each rep. Since he could DL over 700 lbs he was hitting a 5.6 on the richter scale. Suddenly this little old lady showed up madder than a wet hen and covered in bits of plaster. It seems that the landlord had finally rented the downstairs office space right below the lifting platform. The new drop ceiling they had just put in had collapsed on this lady and her first client. The office was a mess and my buddy was less than sorry. Nothing like having a dozen muscle heads coming down just to laugh at your misfortune. The landlord had warned her that there was a gym upstairs and that it might bet a “little” loud sometimes. I guess her client was pretty shook up and ran out.
CREDIT: Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #2
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Just for Laughs – Caber Hills
August 14, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Caber Hills – A new, exclusive gated community for the Heavy Events Athlete
This may not be Caber Hills, but the JWC Throwing Field is one of the best Highland Game Fields around. It is complete with permanent standards, hammer cage, and pre-set trig boards. (photo and caption by Al Myers)
I have found investors (mostly golfers who are tired of being terrorized by us) who have agreed to provide the financing for Caber Hills. This will be a gated community, mostly gated to keep us in rather than anyone else out, and will cater exclusively to the Heavy Events Athlete and his or her special needs.
Homes: Caber Hills will be built exclusively from log homes that will include nothing but cabers turned at 12:00. Our expert crew will build our home with a Heavy Events theme. Hammer and caber wall paper, all caber wall construction, stair way rails made out of hammers, Braemar Stone fireplaces, 28lb light fixtures, Grandfather clock with caber hands and a hammer pendulum, and 56lb counter weights.
Club House: The Caber Hills Club House will include a computerized throwing range. A projector will show the fields of some of the greatest games sites in the world. Such as Estes, Pleasanton, McFearsome, Calendar, Scotland, and more. Athletes throws will be computed and a high speed digital camera will analyze technique. The club house menu will include beer, Cokes, and 3lb T- Bones. Nothing else. The Pro Shop will include 50 kinds of tacky, Hammer adjustments, Bobby Dodd, Malcolm Doying, and premier equipment. A massage therapist will be on hand that looks a lot like that St. Pauli Beer Girl.
Field: The Athletic field will be the finest in the world. A shooting range will offer buckets of hammers, 28’s, 56’s, and stones (large or small buckets). Our ball boy drives a tank. Exploding Hammers are offered on a limited basis. The athletic field is all natural grass with constant divot repair. Flat and sloped fields are offered. Caddies will retrieve weights and are equipped with engineering equipment to find the slope. Heavy Event Carts (much like golf carts, but 4 wheel drive and a 350 cubic inch, 4 barrel carb) are provided free of charge to members. There is a Braemar Putting Green and a Caber Fairway. Cabers available in increments of one inch and one pound all the way up to “Seqouia” size.
Call today to reserve your building site at 1 (GET) – CABERED. And remember Caber Hills….”where we always round up” and we never, ever, never, use a knock off bar.
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3 Issue #3
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Just for Laughs – Dave Glasgow is “My Personal Stalker”
August 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
(Webmasters note: This was written by Thom 10 years ago in the Bramaer Stone Tablet, but I think he was on to something. Since I have just reread this, I have taken notice that Dave is “lurking” in the background of several pictures I have of Thom. IS THIS JUST A COINCIDENCE??? )
Thom Van Vleck (right) and his stalker Dave Glasgow (left).
I am writing this to make everyone aware that Dave Glasgow is stalking me, and just in case he is successful and I am found dead under “mysterious” circumstances. You may be next.
1. I am judging the Mid-America Masters in 2002. Dave is throwing the 22lb hammer and I am safely behind the cage carefully watching him for any transgression of the rules. Suddenly, the hammer head comes off the handle and it punctures the cage hitting me in my ankle. The impact tattooed the pattern of my sock into the ball of my ankle. Luckily, my “cat like” reflexes allowed me to move before the hammer took my whole leg off causing me to bleed to death. I’m not sure how Dave got that hammer head to come off at that precise moment, but he’s old and crafty (esp. old). Then, and I’m not sure how he did it, but when I got home my water heater had burst flooding my house. I’m not sure how he drove 185 miles to my house and sabotaged my water heater (after all, it was only 20 years old and barely half covered with rust), but he did it and got back to KC in between throws.
I took this picture a few weeks ago at the Ledaig Record Breaker. I didn't notice it at the time, but doesn't it look like Dave is "eyeballing" Thom? But then again do I blame him - I would be doing the same if Thom was carrying on a private conversation with MY WIFE! (photo by Al Myers)
2. At that time, I was thinking it just a coincidence. However, as I read through an old issue of Dan DeWelt’s old magazine I spied a picture of me throwing the stone. Not that it was unusual that there was a picture of me, a top notch athlete (I would say world class, but I don’t like to brag….my wife once told me that…. but she stuttered at the end which made it sound like she said “World class ass”, but that was just a stutter… I’m sure). At any rate, as I admired the picture of myself and the fine form I was demonstrating I saw it. There he was, Dave Glasgow, standing in the background staring at me. Obviously, he was casing me out at that early time, but I had been unaware. But now I was on to him.
After a hot day throwing at the Ledaig Highland Games, Thom stripped down and cooled off in the tank. Of course I had to take his picture. But wait.... I think I recognize that kilt in the background!!!! Is it the stalker??? (photo by Al Myers)
3. I began to notice Dave was everywhere. It seemed that nearly half the highland games I went to, Dave was there, too. Obviously this was getting serious. He was following me. But I had to be cool, and not let him know I was onto him. I needed to keep the element of surprise on my side. I told only a few my suspicions, but they all obviously agreed. When I pointed out the picture of Dave “stalking” me, Steve Scott looked at me and laughed (obviously to keep from arousing suspicions) and said, “Oh, sure, obviously”. And then he quickly left and didn’t talk to me again all day, which I am sure was to keep from arousing suspicions.
4. Most recently, Dave came up to my HASA championships. Sure, he was acting so nice, giving me a pitch fork, custom made, and acting as a judge for me. But I was on to him. However, Dave is a crafty one. I was able to keep him in my sites all day, but the bastard waited until I was asleep. He came out and sabotaged my sewer line that night causing my basement to flood. Then, just to rub salt in the wound, he came out to my house to “visit” me and then when I went to show him my basement workout area only to find it flooded, he pretended he didn’t know a thing and actually tried to help me fix it. Oh sure, he seems like a nice guy, but let this be your warning. Dave Glasgow is a Stalker!!!!!!!!!!!
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #4 Issue #4
Categories: USAWA Daily News
NE Record Breaker
August 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Frank Ciavattone
MEET RESULTS – NEW ENGLAND RECORD BREAKER DAY
The meet was very successful, and I have the results, which will be given from youngest to oldest. This meet celebrates my 4 month anniversary of my cancer operation. Though my lifts weren’t great, I hope they can inspire others to never give up and continue to do what they love no matter what challenges they may be faced with. The officials were Joe Sr. and Mike Obrien for myself. For Joe Sr it was myself and Mike Obrien, and for Mike it was Joe Sr and me. The rest of the lifters were reffed by myself, Joe Sr, and Mike Obrien. Everyone did great. Highlights include Joeys big reverse grip bench of 305 pounds, Joe Jrs 525lb deadlift, and the highest ever done on the one hand dumbell deadlift by Jeff! Thanks to everyone involved in the meet, and to all that read this.
MEET RESULTS
New England Record Breaker Day Frank’s Barbell Club Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Lifts: Record Day
Officials (3 official system used on all lifts): Frank Ciavattone, Joe Ciavattone Sr., Mike O’Brien
Jonathan Ciavattone - Age 16 years, BWT 241 pounds (Mens 16-17 Age Group, 110 KG Weight Class)
Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 200# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand: 200# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Left Hand: 175# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 225# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Right Arm: 130# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 130# Right Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20# Left Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20#
Joe Ciavattone, Jr. – Age 18 years, BWT 220 pounds (Mens 18-19 Age Group, 100 KG Weight Class)
Deadlift: 525# Bench Press – Hands Together: 225# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, Right Hand: 150# Curl – Cheat: 166# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″ Left Hand: 100# French Press: 145# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 225# Right Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20# Left Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20#
Mike O’Brien – Age 29 years, BWT 158 pounds (Mens Open Age Group, 75 KG Bodyweight Class)
Right Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20#
Jeff Ciavattone – Age 31 years, BWT 240 pounds (Mens Open Age Group, 110 KG Weight Class)
Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 402# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, Left Hand: 200# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 392# Right Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 50#
Joe Ciavattone, Sr. – Age 43 years, BWT 246 pounds (Mens 40-44 Age Group, 115 KG Weight Class)
Bench – Right Arm: 108# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, Right Hand: 185# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, Left Hand: 177.5# French Press: 155# Right Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20# Left Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20# Bench Press – Reverse Grip: 305#
Frank Ciavattone – Age 56 years, BWT 264 pounds (Mens 55-59 Age Group, 120 KG Weight Class)
Bench Press – Hands Together: 185# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, Left Hand: 145# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 bar, 2″, Right Hand: 175# Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip, Left Arm: 135# Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip, Right Arm: 135# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 192# Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 192# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Right Arm: 110# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 22# Right Hand Pinch Grip Clean and Press: 20# Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Just for Laughs – more funny stuff
August 16, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Recently, Kevin McAllister asked some of his fellow HASA athletes for their training routines. Some of them were so important to development of the all round athlete I felt I should include them in this newsletter.
Here was Larry Ventress’ response:
Off season: Lift like hell, throw a little bit In season: Lift like hell, throw a little bit more Results: I still stink Post season: Depression sets in Results: The oreo cookies come out Post Cookies: Feel guilty about not training and eating too many cookies. Results: Lift like hell, throw a little bit and get ready for next year.
It’s a vicious cycle! Hope this helps, Larry.
Al Myers replied: I also “cycle” train like Larry, but mine goes like this.
Off season: Powerlift as hard as possible to get stronger and tighten up all tendons/muscle groups Early season: Throw as hard as possible and loosen up all tendons/muscle groups In season: Pull or tear some major tendon/muscle groups. Next year: Start it all over again!!!
Mitch Ridout clean and pressing the Jackson Anvil. Mitch often won this "challenge event" following past HASA Highland Games. I believe his best effort was 14 reps with the 150# anvil - quite amazing! (photo courtesy of Al Myers)
Now, I will include Mitch Ridout’s “King of Beasts” Training Routine for the Highland Games. Mitch believes strongly in the “KOB”. It dictates a focus on recuperation. Mitch say, “It is during the recuperation phase that muscle is actually built, the act of working out actually tears down muscle. Look at our friend, the mighty Lion, the KING OF BEASTS. He will lay around all day getting up only to eat, have sex, or to deal with competition and he carries a mighty frame of muscle.” Now, I can tell you….. I have watched Mitch train and he fervently believes in the KOB philosophy. I have also had to listen to him sleep. That guy can fall asleep before his head hits the pillow and his snoring will rattle window panes. I also know that he follows the eating part religously, eating copious amounts of red meat in one sitting. As for the sex part, you would have to ask his wife or Kevin McAllister as I do know Kevin invited him to “sleep” over one weekend when Kev’s wife was out of town.
COMING TOMORROW – THE DETAILS OF THE KOB TRAINING SYSTEM
CREDIT: Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #1
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Just for Laughs – the King of Beasts Training System
August 17, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
What do the two guys on the left and the lion on the right have in common? They both follow the King of Beasts Training System. The program's innovator Mitch Ridout is pictured on the left, and his one pupil Tedd Van Vleck is to his right.
It is my goal in life to make the King of Beasts or KOB training system as famous as the ab roller or Tony Little’s “Gazelle” fitness system. As a matter of fact, when you think of Mitch think of Tony Little. For those of you unfamiliar with the KOB it is based heavily on Mitch’s keen observation of the “real” KING OF BEASTS, the mighty lion. The lion lays around all day “recuperating” (a key principle). He only gets up for a contest (fight) and for sex (Mitch’s wife is expecting twins). Diet is primarily very rare meat and lots of it, followed by extended slumber.
Anyhow, the KOB training tip of the month has to do with cross training. Mitch has taken up Scotland’s “other” sport (no, not curling). Golf, yes, GOLF! They call it a sport and I guess it is one. Mitch likes to cross train with golf as it requires little real effort and if you have a cart it requires almost no effort at all. Plus, it can be quite satisfying to the ego. Afterall, Mitch could never throw the hammer or 28 a hundred yards and he can hit a golf ball almost that far….all in the air, too. Mitch really wows them when he takes his driver three turns around like his hammer before actually hitting the ball. Occassionally, he actually lets go of the driver and tape measures it before moving on to the bunkers.
So the tip of the month is: Cross training with Golf!!! You’ll feel like the KING OF BEASTS!!!
(Webmaster’s comment: The KOB Training System must be catching on. I hear another JWC member, Tedd Van Vleck, has taken it up as well, and is making an attempt at Golf. It is also rumored that Tedd has purchased a Big Green Egg to add the meat element to the KOB program he’s on. Don’t be discouraged Tedd, as succeeding on two out of three key parts of the KOB Program is not that bad!!!!)
CREDIT: Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #1, Issue #3
Categories: USAWA Daily News
How to make your training more productive
August 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
(Webmasters note: This was a story I wrote for the Braemar Stone Tablet several years ago that applied to Highland Game training, but it contains ideas that can be applied to All-Round Weightlifting as well. I had actually forgot that I had written this!)
Nothing inspires your training as much as good training partners. I was fortunate to have two of the best training partners around when I was training the Highland Games. This is the three of us when we competed together at the 2005 Inverness Highland Games in Scotland. Pictured left to right: Chad Ullom, Al Myers, and Scott Campbell
The throwing season is upon us again! Time to dust off those hammer boots and put a new coat of paint on the throwing implements! It always amazes me how fast the winter goes and all that off-season weight training that you have been doing to make you a better thrower never seems to be enough. It is now time to hit the throwing field and put in time with the throwing weights. I want to share some of the things I have learned (mostly the hard way!) about how to make your training more productive. These are the 5 most important things to focus on in making your training better.
1. Set workout times - This is critical. It is too easy to procrastinate if you don’t have a scheduled workout time. Saying too yourself that I’ll workout a couple of days this week after work, if I’m not too tired, if it is not too hot or cold, if nothing good is on TV, won’t do it! Even if time only permits one workout a week, plan for that day and then no matter what DO IT!!! Remember, the highland games are not a leisure activity! 2. Keep a training log – How in the world are you going to be able to evaluate different training programs if you don’t have a good record of what you have done? I know, there days that really suck and you wish not to remember them, but at least put something in a training log! Maybe you are over-training? Maybe you have a nagging injury that is keeping that one throw down? These are the things you want to avoid and by looking at what you have done leading up to it, it may be avoided in the future. This is where a log helps! I often look back at my log from previous years and evaluate training programs that worked for me and those that don’t . Remember, it doesn’t really count if you don’t write it down!
3. Set Goals - I know, everyone knows this. You always hear guys saying I want to do this and I want to do that. By next August, I’m going to throw that light hammer 150 feet!! Yeah right!!! There are goals and then there are dreams!!! To me, goals are something that you are actually taking steps in working towards, whereas dreams are those thing that you imagine doing while sitting on the couch eating Doritos. Goals need to be specific, and along with them the steps needed to accomplish them. They need to be realistic, and they need to be short- term. Long-term goals are okay, but will not give you the focus you need today! Again, write these goals down, and develop a plan to achieve them. Remember, real success is achieving what you set out to do!
4. Get information - To be a better thrower, you need to continually learn. Never tell yourself that you know it all. Listen to the experts. Look at tapes. Read everything you can get on the games. Get feedback from other athletes. Spend time watching other throwers and studying them. Then after you do all of this, forget most of it!! What you ask? Let me tell you something – there are no magic secrets, just good advice and bad advice. It is up to YOU to tell the difference!!! What works for one athlete won’t for another. You have to find out those things that work for you. And whatever you do, don’t change your throwing on game day because someone gave you a good tip right before you stepped up to the trig! Take these “pointers” home and find out in training if they are good or bad. I know that all throwers mean well and want to help out their fellow comrades, but this trick of giving someone a good “pointer” right before they throw is one of the oldest psych-out tricks in the book!!! Get information and study it at home and try to apply it to your training program. Remember, it is not illegal to “steal” throwing information! 5. Have fun – This can sometimes be overlooked. It is easy to put so much pressure on yourself that sometimes fun can be lost. Enjoyment and having fun is one of the reasons that drew you to the games in the first place, but it is easy to drift away from this as you get more dedicated and focused. I know, it has happened to me in the past. Sometimes you have to step back, and ask yourself, what do I need to do to enjoy this more? Maybe you need a different training environment for awhile. Go to the park until they kick you out. Maybe try a new training program. Do a little traveling on the weekends and find other athletes to train with. Training with other athletes will help with training enthusiasm greatly!! In the past, I have done a lot of training by myself, and I can tell you, it is a lot more fun to have other athletes that can share in the throwing agony with you!! Having fun, and enjoying the sport for what it is will go a long way in making those training sessions better. Remember, you can’t set a personal record in every training session, but you can have fun trying.
I know I didn’t address any specifics, but these general points are the ones to focus on first in making your training more productive. You may notice that I didn’t mention anything about having good implements. Good implements are nice to have and may improve your self-esteem, but believe it or not they are not critical in improving as a thrower. I know a lot of throwers that have homemade weights and made a lot of progress with them. Don’t use this as an excuse that you don’t have the weights to train with or the weights you have aren’t Dodd weights. Improvise, get something and start training! I hope that these ideas will help a little in making your throwing season this year the best ever. Consider yourself lucky to be involved.
CREDIT: the Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #1
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Ban the Spin
August 19, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
(Webmaster’s notes: The following is an editorial written by Thom Van Vleck 10 years ago in the Braemar Stone Tablet regarding his dislike of the spin in the Highland Game height events. I found this editorial very ironic and humerous on so many levels because since then Thom has totally changed his tune and is now an advocate for the spin. He has used the spin in the 42# WOB to set a World Record and numerous game records. But he sure gives a good argument why the spin should be banned!!!! How does it feel Thom to have to EAT YOUR WORDS??????)
Thom Van Vleck utilizes the spin in the Weight Over Bar to perfection. In 2005, Thom set the All-Time World Record in the 42# WOB with a toss of 20'6". He has won or tied in the WOB at 3 World Championships (2004, 2007, and 2010). (photo credit Kevin Viet)
Recently, there have been some innovations in technique in the highland games. Namely, the spin on the sheaf and WOB. I have talked to a great many people about this and want to make their voices heard and to give my own opinion. You don’t have to like it, or even agree, but I think this is something we need to address before it goes too far.
A couple of years ago we began to see a few guys spinning on the sheaf. This year Harrison Bailey (I think) began spinning on the WOB. This has started to push some records up, and will no doubt continue to do so. I am opposed to the new techniques on several grounds. First, they are dangerous. About a hundred years ago a woman was struck and killed in Canada by a wayward hammer. The man that threw it was so despondent he never competed again. I know how I would feel if I were responsible for a tragic accident. I would feel just as responsible as an Athletic Director who allowed unsafe practices to go on. It was also around that time that there was an innovation in technique. The athletes began to spin with the hammer. Yes, much like the Olympic hammer, the athletes would spin and throw the hammer. However, they quickly realized how dangerous this was and the practice was stopped. I feel that spinning with the sheaf could lead to serious injury as I witnessed Mike Smith flatten a metal chair with a wayward sheaf toss (old style) in McPherson a couple of years ago. A twenty pound sheaf could seriously hurt an adult and kill a child. I won’t even go into what a 56 could do raining down from 15 plus feet in the air.
An answer to this would be to create large safe areas, but you push the crowds back when you do that and isolate the athletes even more. That is a problem within itself. Many venues I have been to are limited to a confined space and a large field is out of the question. I want the crowds in as close as they can get, especially the children. Otherwise, why not go throw in somebody’s back yard?
My second issue with the techniques is they take away the power events. The Sheaf and the WOB were relatively simple to execute and the strongest guys would usually prevail in these events. There was no hiding your true level of strength. Making them technical will take away from that aspect. You also have a great many guys that are strong and love this sport, but have difficulty with the spinning events who will now be left out. I will admit that I am one of those guys. The WOB and sheaf, as well as the caber, were my best events. I do not consider myself athletic, but I have built considerable strength over the years through weightlifting. By making the event more athletic you will alienate a majority of athletes who are either not as athletic, don’t have the time to work on technique (i.e. have jobs, families), or do this for the love of the sport. YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE SELF-BUILT ATHLETE WHO MAY NOT BE BLESSED, BUT CAN BUILD ON WHAT HE OR SHE HAS THROUGH WEIGHT TRAINING.
Al Myers (left) and Thom Van Vleck (right) squared off against each other a couple of years ago in a 56# WOB contest, infamously referred to now as the WOB Border War. The rules of the contest required it be a traditional standing toss, in which the spin would not be allowed. I issued this challenge to Thom because I felt he had snubbed the standing toss and everything he once believed in! Chad Ullom served as the official, and due to his incompetence the outcome was questionable as to who had actually won. We each claimed victory, but Chad determined it a tie. (photo credit Chad Ullom)
An answer to this issue would be to only allow the spin in the A class and Pros. The idea being that once you reach that level you should have worked on the technique enough that you would be safe as well as guys capable and have the time to master the style. I do not agree with this, but would go along with this solution.
Third, it is hard on equipment. I have run meets and they are quite expensive. Al Myers made a good point to me that I feel every athlete should hear. On average at a good meet the AD will spend about $100 per athlete. The most I have ever paid for entry is $20. The rest is absorbed through sponsers, gate (which we all know is not great unless you are in a huge games), and straight from the pockets of the AD’s. Plus sweat and toil equity. I personally don’t want to have 3 sets of sheaf standards and WOB standards for back ups because the others are getting tore up. And they will be once everyone starts doing these styles. You run one meet and you will see how tore up the equipment gets and just how expensive it is to fix it back up.
The simple answer would be to make the athletes more financially responsible. Higher entry fees or make them agree to pay for repairs to anything damaged by an errant throw. I don’t want to do this at my meets so I will likely limit the Super A’s to the option of the spins and only if they can demonstrate they have mastered it enough in warm ups they won’t be be a threat to anyone.
While I personally would like to do away with the spinning styles this is not my sport to make demands. I am not a cry baby and will adapt if that is what I have to do. I have just heard so many complaints about it I felt I should lead a charge. If no one follows then I will look foolish (as I have many times before) and walk back and get in line with my fellow athletes to learn the new styles. If you agree, get on the chat rooms, talk to the AD’s, and organizations (NASGA, RMSA, SAAA, SSAA, etc). Let’s make the push to make hard decisions on this matter before it goes too far. Otherwise, it is moving along and until someone get hurt the athletes are going to do whatever it takes to get an edge.
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #2
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Just for Laughs: Scotty “Caber Killer” Campbell
August 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
This issue we spotlight a relatively new athlete to HASA: Scotty “Caber Killer” Campbell. (Scotty elicited these comments recently)
Scotty "The Caber Killer" getting ready to slay another caber. That's me standing there with my hand on the caber and head bowed. I'm PRAYING that the Caber Killer won't turn this nice innocent caber into firewood! (photo credit Al Myers)
I first met Scotty at the Heathen Games (AKA Wakenny Games, Festival of Beltane, and Seamus’s Follies). It was there I first detected his disdain for the big stick. In particular when the rest of us were turning their biggest stick with our eyes closed and one hand tied behind our back, I noticed that the Caber Killer first showed his face, much like Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk. Scotty couldn’t get a turn and he slammed the stick down (at the time I thought it was an accident), and snapped the end. But now, I know it was the ……CABER KILLER!!!!!!
Liam had these comments in regards to the Backyard Games:
Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. Fine games. Except for the weather. Try to order better weather next time. And maybe you could use a rubber tree for your next caber. Then maybe Scott “the Caber Slayer” Campbell can be thwarted in his attemp to rid the universe of evil timber. The rain forest must shudder at the mere mention of his name.
Then “Big Shot” Al Myers weighed in (pun intended) with this comment: As for a good solution to keep Scotty from breaking cabers, just put a price sticker on them!!!
AD’s beware. The Caber Killer is lurking near your meet this summer. Unless, of course, he becomes too whipped after his wedding and we never see him again. (Sorry, Scott, couldn’t resist, I guess you’ll show her who wears the pants in your family…..uhhhh….poor choice of words.)
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #5, Issue #1
Categories: USAWA Daily News
HASA Winter Banquet
August 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
(Webmasters note: Every year HASA, Heart of America Scottish Athletes, would host a winter banquet where impromptu competitions and awards are given out to the members. I always enjoy these banquets, and the camaraderie shared between friends. The best part of the banquet is the “gag gifts”. We each take turns making fun of each other. Sorta like a roast. Today I’m going to share the report from one of the best banquets HASA ever had, the 2002 Winter HASA Banquet, which was covered in the Braemar Stone Tablet by Thom Van Vleck)
This year we had the HASA awards banquet at the community center. Steve and Becky were in charge and everyone was asked to bring a carry in dish. It was more laid back than in the past and I personally enjoyed it. People could hang out, do whatever they wanted (which for us included pulling out a caber and trying to throw it in a tree).
We again had the “Stone Cold Heavies” contest with a WOB contest. I had some mugs made up for awards, everyone that entered could get one. Eleven gus and two gals entered for fun and bragging rights. The final winners were as follows:
Men: Al Myers first (14 ft), Chad Ullom and Thom Van Vleck second (tie) (12 ft). Women: Lori Myers and Leslie Kress first (tie) (12 ft)
I would like to point out that Kevin McAllister beat out his brother Shawn for 10th place when he touched the bar at 10ft with the handle after both cleared 9ft. Shawn failed to “touch” the bar and in a little known rule, Kevin declared himself the winner by virtue of “touching” the bar.
We had a little impromptu contest where the guys threw the 28 for height. Pretty fun stuff.
As for the awards winners for the year:
Al Myers: Angus Award (top athlete) Dave Glasgow: Sportsmanship Award Mike McGhee: Most Improved Award (and most injured, too) Scott Campbell: Best Newcomer
We then handed out “gag” awards and had a blast. Some notable awards included Dave Henderson’s propeller driven hammer for Steve Scott, who immediately vowed he would throw it “down hill” to pick up extra distance. Below is a report on another gag award (luckily, the editor of this newsletter has a tremendous sense of humor and is a wonderful person…..Paybacks, Al, Paybacks….)
From Al Myers:
Thom Van Vleck accepting the insulated jockstrap award at the 2002 HASA Banquet, given to him by Al Myers. This gag award was given to Thom because he would always host his fall Highland Games on one of the coldest days of the winter.
I had a great time at the HASA Baquet last weekend. I finally got my pictures developed and had a good one of Thom accepting his insulated jockstrap award. I can only guess what he is mumbling to himself as he looks down –
1. “Hey buddies, we are going to get a warm winter!” 2. “This jockstrap is furrier than I am!” 3. “Hey everyone – do you think it could cover this bald spot!” 4. “I wonder how I am going to get this over my kilt!” 5. “If I wore this thing backwards, it would be a thong!”
That Al, He’s a funny man…….Paybacks, you hear me Al, Paybacks…..
(Webmasters comment: So now you know, Thom and my rivalry goes back LOTS of years and he is STILL trying to get the upper hand on me! Since then I have to add Thom’s comment number 6. )
6. ” I better wear this when I visit the Dino Gym so I can have some padding for protection for when I run into the Enforcer!”
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #4, Issue #4
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Anvil Tree
August 22, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
People often ask Thom where his fascination with anvils began. It all started with a blow to the head…..
"All right Thom, you just go right ahead! I've warned you enough times about playing under the anvil tree!"
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #4 Issue #2
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Accepting the Aging Process
August 22, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
None of these guys are showing any sign of aging any time soon! This "unretouched" photo shows that lifting keeps you youthful! Joe Garcia, Chad Ullom, Al Myers, LaVerne Myers, and Thom Van Vleck getting ready to down Cheese Steak Sandwichs in Philadelphia before the Heavy Event Nationals!
I have said it before, the USAWA sometimes seems like a retirement sport for lifters. The organization has it’s fair share of older lifters and I think it’s great. I don’t think it has anything to do with it being an organization for older lifters but everything to do with the wide variety of lifts available to the lifters. This allows those who have injuries that keep them from Powerlifting, Olympic lifting, or strongman meets to stay active and still make gains.
I have known Joe for at least 25 years, Al and Chad for 17 years, and have really gotten to know LaVerne that last 5 years. We have all had long lifting careers and our fair share of injuries. And yet, in the photo above we don’t seem to have a SINGLE grey hair…at least in our beards….that PROVES lifting keeps you young!
In particular, I have known Al through having his bicep reattached not once, but TWICE on his right arm a ONCE on his left. Yet he continues to plug away breaking record after record. Had he stuck to just powerlifting or just Highland games, that would have been difficult to do. So that’s a second reason the USAWA is popular among older lifters, they can keep setting records and that keeps them motivated to lift hard.
Many of you know, but maybe a few don’t, that Al was a high ranked Professional Highland Games Athlete. He even held a Pro world record! That’s no easy feat! It’s actually how I met him and not through my affiliation with Bill Clark and Bob Burtzloff (Al’s brother in law). That was just one of those “small world” deals that we found out later. There was a time when Al “retired” from throwing. I was personally pretty sad about this because I had enjoyed our many road trips to Highland Games. Al told me one time it was hard to stay motivated about throwing when he knew he’d peaked in that sport and would likely never be as good a thrower as he was when he was at his prime. However, in the USAWA he could still find lifts that he could work on and set not only USAWA records in, but personal bests, too. And that keeps a guy motivated about his training when he feels he can keep setting “personal bests”!
Now, the photo above, to be honest, was “retouched” just a little. Al recently dyed….errrrr…I mean “highlighted” his beard because when he grew it back after a long absence (Al used to sport a beard for most of the early years I knew him) it had gotten a little grey…..OK, let’s be honest, it was as snow white as Santa’s beard! So Al “highlighted” it a little and we gave him a hard time about it. But seriously, Al is an ageless wonder and I have no doubt that someday he will challenge Art Montini, Dennis Habecker, and the other top record holders for most records ever.
USAWA is a sport that keeps you young at heart!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Just for Laughs – HASA Humor
August 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
If you have read these newsletters for awhile you have heard me give my buddy Mitch Ridout no end of trouble because he has always been gifted as an athlete, but rarely seriously trains. He has jokingly told me he is in a “recuperation” phase and has been for several years. Every time I call, inevitably I ask Mitch if he is working out or still in his recuperation phase. Well, recently, when I called I found out the Ol’ Mitch-meister has added a whole new dimension to his routine. He is now in the “Visualization” Phase of his workout. He told me he is visualizing how he will soon be working out and until he has a clear mental picture he doesn’t want to push himself beyond what he is capable. Well……I’ve know Mitch for a loooonnnng time, and if he’s waiting for a “clear” mental picture…..we might be in for a wait for his next “phase”. And by then, he may need to recuperate some more.
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #7, Issue #1
(Webmasters notes: Well, I guess the vacation is over. I hope everyone enjoyed these past exerpts from the Braemar Stone Tablet. I promise that tomorrow I will get back to business as usual with the USAWA Daily News. But I gotta tell ya – there’s a lot more good stuff in the series of the Braemar Stone Tablet that I could rerun if I need a vacation again! )
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Time Change for Team Nationals
August 26, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ANNOUNCEMENT
There has been a time change for TEAM NATIONALS this weekend on Saturday, 27th. Weighins will begin at 12:00, and the meet will start immediately following this. Note that this is two hours later than announced earlier. I have not received very many entries, and the attendance looks to be small so meet time won’t be an issue and we should still be done by 4 PM. I just want to give everyone plenty of time for travel Saturday morning.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Team Nationals
August 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
MEET REPORT
Group picture from the 2011 USAWA Team Nationals. (front row left to right): Al Myers, Chad Ullom (back row left to right): Russ Morton, Rudy Bletscher, Mike Murdock, Dean Ross
The 2011 USAWA Team Nationals was again an outstanding success this year. It contained a couple of regular teams (Myers/Ullom & Murdock/Bletscher) and one new team that made their debut (Morton/Ross) in team lifting. Team lifting is MUCH different than just individual lifting. Teamwork is essential in being successful – things like timing and coordination between partners can either help you or hurt you in a big way. The teams this year seemed very balanced in regards to the lifters size and height.
Dean and Russ put up the top Team One Arm Dumbbell Press with a lift of 180 pounds.
The Dino Gym brought another new lifter to the USAWA arena in this meet and he did a phenomenal job considering this was his first exposure to the crazy things we do in the USAWA, and I consider this meet an extreme meet in our yearly meet lineup. This man is Russ Morton. He is a VERY seasoned powerlifter who has MANY powerlifting meets under his belt, and it was obvious he was not intimidated in the least by the lifts that faced him. He teamed with Dean “the Boss” Ross who in my opinion, has made his presence known in the USAWA this year. Dean is one of the STRONGEST GUYS his age I have ever met. He powers through any lift whether it requires technique or not, and through brute determination makes big lifts. These two guys put up the TOP Team One Arm Dumbbell Press of the meet with a fine lift of 180 pounds. I’m sure you are wondering – how do you do a Team one arm dumbbell press?? At first it sounds next to impossible, but after “scratching our heads” awhile we came up with a way. First of all, there is barely enough room to get two hands on a 6 inch dumbbell handle so the grip on the dumbbell is not the best. All of us pressed the dumbbell standing to the side of each other facing opposite directions. So it can be done.
We were entertained during a break in the lifting action when Rudy and Dave sang a harmonized duet. The second lift was the Team Continental Snatch using the 2″ Fulton Bar. I was concerned grip might be an issue for the lifters but it wasn’t for anyone. The difficulty with the lift was the minimal hand spacing on the bar. You had to use a snatch grip much narrower than the normal snatch width, which made the lift slightly more difficult. Chad and I had the top lift here with a lift of 320 pounds. Mike and Rudy made a solid lift of 117 pounds, and Dean and Russ finished with 177 pounds. Chad and I used a power snatch technique while the other two teams used the hang snatch technique.
Mike and Rudy teamed up for a 175 pound Team Continental to Chest and Jerk. Not too bad for a couple of lifters over 70 years of age!
The third lift was the Team Continental to Chest and Jerk. Chad and I had the top lift of 452 pounds, which is now the top lift done in this lift in both the USAWA and IAWA record books. I was hoping that we could also break the mark from the old Missouri Valley Record List which record is an outstanding lift of 463 pounds set in 1983 by two legendary mid-west lifters, Bob Burtzloff and Kevin Fulton. We simply ran out of attempts and didn’t start high enough. Maybe next time!!!
Chad and I had to use some tight teamwork to lift 1000 pounds in the Team 2-bar deadlift.
The last lift done was the Team 2-bar deadlift. Each lifter gripped each bar just like in the individual 2-bar deadlift. I actually thought this would be an easy lift for a team to do since the balance issue would be removed that presents when doing this by yourself. I thought for sure that the lifters could lift more as a team than the sum of their individual lifts. I was wrong! This lift turned out to give the lifters the most failed attempts of all the lifts, because if both bars didn’t rise in unison, the weight would “shift” to the lifter on the lower end and force the lifters feet to move. We tried it all ways – facing away from each other, facing each other, and even standing facing the same direction. I don’t think we ever decided which “lineup” was most favorable. Mike Murdock took a nasty fall on one attempt after the weight “shifted”. Luckily, Mike was not hurt (at least he was not bleeding!). Chad and I had the top lift on this one with a lift of 1000 pounds. I think we could have done a little more, but at this time we were ready to call it a day and head to town for supper! Thanks to everyone who showed up to lift, and special thanks goes to Dave Glasgow for serving as the official the entire day.
MEET RESULTS
USAWA Team Nationals Dino Gym, Abilene, Kansas August 27th, 2011
Meet Director: Al Myers
Official (1-official system used): Dave Glasgow Lifts: Team Press – Dumbbell, One Arm, Team Continental Snatch – Fulton Bar, Team Continental to Chest and Jerk, Team Deadlift – 2 bars
Lifters:
OPEN AGE GROUP & 115 KG WEIGHT CLASS Al Myers – 45 years, 253# BWT Chad Ullom – 39 years, 244# BWT
MASTERS 50-54 AGE GROUP & 125+ KG WEIGHT CLASS Dean Ross – 68 years, 281# BWT Russ Morton – 50 years, 275# BWT
MASTERS 70-74 AGE GROUP & 105 KG WEIGHT CLASS Mike Murdock – 71 years, 231# BWT Rudy Bletscher – 75 years, 217# BWT
RESULTS
Lifters DB Snatch C&J DL Total Points Press
Myers/Ullom 175- 320 452 1000 1947 1535.4 R
Ross/Morton 180- 177 253 617 1227 1019.9 R
Murdock/Bletscher 90-R 117 175 440 822 896.7
Notes: All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted points for bodyweight correction and age correction.
EXTRA LIFTS FOR RECORDS:
Murdock/Bletscher: MASTERS 70-74 AGE GROUP & 105 KG WEIGHT CLASS Team Curl – Reverse Grip: 205#
Ross/Murdock: MASTERS 65-69 AGE GROUP & 125+ KG WEIGHT CLASS Team Curl – Reverse Grip: 205# Dean Ross: MASTERS 65-69 AGE GROUP & 125+ KG WEIGHT CLASS Swing – Dumbbell, Right Arm: 70# Swing – Dumbbell, Left Arm: 70# Swing – 2 Dumbbells: 100#
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Dino Days Record Day
August 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
DINO DAYS RECORD DAY
Ben Edwards set the ALL TIME RECORD in the 2" One Arm Vertical Bar Deadlift with a lift of 251 pounds at the Dino Days Record Day.
MEET REPORT
There were not alot of records set today at the Dino Days Record Day, but the ones that were set were great! Only five lifters showed up on this second day of the two USAWA competitions hosted by the Dino Gym this weekend; Mike Murdock, Scott Tully, Ben Edwards, LaVerne Myers and myself. Mike lead the way with setting records in 9 different lifts, followed by LaVerne with 8, and the rest of us tied at 7. Every lifter had a record lift which I would call OUTSTANDING, and I had a hard time “choosing” just one feature picture, so I just decided I would show a picture of everyone who lifted, in which I would call their “BEST” record of the day.
Ben Edwards showed up today to SMASH some USAWA grip records, and that he did. Ben is the KING of the Vertical Bar, and that was the first lift he set his record breaking sights on. I have watched Ben several times with the VB, but never have I seen him this strong with it. He kept going up and up with the weight, finishing with an ALL TIME USAWA record of 251 pounds with his right hand. This broke the USAWA All-Time mark held by Andrew Durniat of 250 pounds, set at the 2010 Dino Gym Grip Challenge. I also got to see Andrew set his record, and at the time I wondered if it ever would be broken. Well, Ben did it! He also lifted 240 pounds in the 2″ VB with his left hand, setting the highest mark in USAWA history with the left as well. The next “grip lift” Ben went after was the Fulton Dumbbell (of which handle is 2 inches in diameter). He did 175 pounds with his left, and 185 pounds with his right. The “185″ is the BEST EVER that has been done in the USAWA with a one handed Fulton Dumbbell. As some of you know, the Fulton Bar lifts utilizing the 2″ handle was named after Kevin Fulton, who was one of the grip-strength pioneers in the USAWA. It all started that day when Kevin “upset” Wilbur Miller in a competition where a 2″ handle dumbbell was deadlifted with one arm. Bill Clark “tagged” the name of the Fulton Bar to the 2 inch handle following this incident. Now Ben better set his goal on Kevin’s best mark from the Old Missouri Valley Record List. Just to let you know – Kevin Fulton lifted 195 pounds in the One Arm Fulton Dumbbell in 1983. So get to work Ben!!!
Scott Tully set the ALL TIME RECORD in the Stifflegged Deadlift with a lift of 512 pounds at the Dino Days Record Day.
Scott Tully really did some damage to the Record List today as well. Scott doesn’t mess around with “sissy lifts” when it comes to breaking records. He gets right to the hard stuff! He started off with breaking the record in the Stiff Legged Deadlift with a great lift of 512 pounds. This not only broke the 125+ KG weight class record that was previously held at 502 pounds by Matthew Doster, but the ALL - TIME USAWA record of 507 pounds held by Ed Schock and myself. Since I knew Scott was “taking my record down” as well, and I was the head official on his lift, I made sure he kept his legs straight! This caused Scott to attempt this lift at least 4 times until he finally got it! And well deserving. Next Scott went on to some other “hard” lifts like the Fulton Bar Deadlift and the Fulton Dumbbell Deadlifts, of which he got several more records. Scott is a great grip guy, and should get more recognition for his grip strength. His One Arm Fulton Dumbbell of 175 pounds was unbelievable, and if it wasn’t for Ben overshadowing him on this day, I would be bragging that record lift up as well.
Mike Murdock set a new age group record in the Trap Bar Deadlift with a lift of 305 pounds.
Mike “Murdo” Murdock set the most records in the most events with 9. Mike lifted the day before in the Team Nationals and I was surprised that he was planning on doing this much today! He did a wide range of lifts. I felt his best record lift of the day was his 305 pound Trap Bar Deadlift. To me a guy lifting over 300 pounds at the age of over 70 in the Trap Bar Deadlift is like a young lifter lifting over 600 pounds. Not too many can do it either! Mike has had an outstanding year in the USAWA, and has lifted in as many meets as anyone. I’m keeping an eye on Mike as it won’t be long and he will be in the CENTURY CLUB for holding over 100 USAWA records. And when he does, I’ll pat him on the back because he will be the first to do it starting in the 70 plus age group!
LaVerne Myers "stole the show" with his 117 pound Dumbbell Walk. The reason this picture is blurry is because he was moving so fast!
My father LaVerne made his faithful appearance today at the record day. These past couple of years he hasn’t missed an opportunity to lift in the Dino Gym Record Days. One of his highlights was setting a personal record in the One Handed 2″ Vertical Bar Deadlift with a fine lift of 182 pounds. I was considering doing the Vertical Bar Deadlift myself but after watching his record setting effort I decided I better not! I was worried that I might not be able to “measure up” to the standard set by ole Dad! haha However, Dad “stole the show” on the last lift contested at this record day – the Dumbbell Walk. Of course when I got out the Dumbbell Walk handle, I “threw down the challenge” to Ben and Dad so they HAD to participate. I hadn’t done any grip stuff all day so I was hoping to use this to my advantage (I’m a crafty one!). I was mainly concerned about Ben being my primary challenge, and I knew Ben had totally exhausted his grip by this point when he only managed 102 pounds on the Walk. If he would have done this first thing it would have been WAY MORE! I then played a little “psych out” game with him and made a big jump to 132 pounds which was outside of both of our limits, but I thought it would “finish of” his grip and then I would drop back and break his 102 mark, which I did with a Dumbbell Walk of 117 pounds. At that point I thought I had it won, and was shaking Ben’s hand when my Dad, to our surprise, picked up the 117 and made the walk!!! What can I say??? What a great way to end a record day at the Dino Gym.
My "highlight lift" was this 772 pound Neck Lift, which is a personal record and USAWA record in the 120 KG weight class.
MEET RESULTS
Dino Days Record Day Dino Gym, Abilene, Kansas August 28th, 2011 Meet Director: Al Myers
Officials (3-official System used): Al Myers, Mike Murdock, Scott Tully, LaVerne Myers
Lifts: Record Day
Scott Tully – 35 years, 346 pounds BWT Mens Open Age Division & 125+ KG Weight Class
Deadlift – Stiff Legged: 512# Deadlift – Fulton Bar: 503# Curl – 2 Dumbbells, Cheat: 150# Clean and Push Press – 2 Dumbbells: 210# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Right Arm: 175# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 165# Deadlift – 2 Fulton Dumbbells: 290#
Ben Edwards – 36 years, 217 pound BWT Mens Open Division & 100 KG Weight Class
Snatch – Kelly: 57# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Left Hand: 240# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand: 251# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 175# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Right Arm: 185# Deadlift – 2 Fulton Dumbbells: 320# Dumbbell Walk: 102#
Al Myers – 45 years, 256 pounds BWT Mens 45-49 Age Division & 120 KG Weight Class
Bench Press – Alternate Grip: 330# Bench Press – Reverse Grip: 330# Bench Press – Feet in Air: 330# Curl – 2 Dumbbells, Cheat: 120# Lateral Raise – Lying: 90# Neck Lift: 772# Dumbbell Walk: 117# LaVerne Myers – 67 years, 246 pounds BWT Mens Master 65-69 Age Group & 115 KG Weight Class
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 1″, Right Hand: 125# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 1″, Left Hand: 125# Two Hands Anyhow: 70# Snatch – Kelly: 35# Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand: 182# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbell, Right Arm: 135# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 135# Dumbbell Walk: 117#
Mike Murdock – 71 years, 235 pounds BWT Mens Master 70-74 Age Group & 110 KG Weight Class
Weaver Stick – Left Hand: 2.5# Two Hands Anyhow: 100# Deadlift – Trap Bar: 305# Lateral Raise – Lying: 70# Clean and Push Press – 2 Dumbbells: 100# Curl – 2 Dumbbells, Cheat: 90# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Left Arm: 115# Deadlift – Fulton Dumbbell, Right Arm: 115# Dumbbell Walk: 62#
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Delaware Valley Postal
March 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT:
2011 Delaware Valley Open Postal Meet
Dates: Between September 1st and September 30th, 2011
Entry form must be postmarked by October 5th, 2011
Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition
Entry Fee: None Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the Rule Book
Lifts:
Push Press – From Rack
Swing – Dumbbell, One Arm
Zercher Lift
For entry form - Delaware Valley Open Postal Entry
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
John W. Schubert
September 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Scott Schmidt
Recently, one of the Icons of our Strength Sports, John W. Schubert passed away. He was approaching his 90Th birthday. As a tribute to all his involvement with perpetuating weightlifting in my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio, I thought it would be appropriate to let our USAWA organization know some of the history of all of John’s success.One of John’s closest ties to All Round Weightlifting was our past President, Howard Prechtel. The fellow Marines trained together, and both loved to conduct competitions in Olympic weightlifting and All Round weightlifting.
John started his weightlifting career in 1940. By the 1950’s, he won several physique contests. In 1957, he won the Junior National title in Olympic weightlifting. He also started his very well known and extremely successful Olympic Health Club. For years, he coached hundreds of athletes. In addition to his training many National Olympic Weightlifting Champions, John also had a good deal of influence on the success of 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist Chuck Vinci. Based on his coaching and individual success, John has achieved Sports Hall of Fame status at both the Local and National level.
Besides John’s passion to help others reach the very best of their ability, he also had a strong desire to compete himself. Even before the Masters program was introduced, when John was in his 40’s then 50’s, he was often in a medal winning position in his weight class in the Open Division. He stayed very competitive for years. Once he was able to compete in the Masters, not only did he win many titles, he set a tremendous amount of National records. While Olympic weightlifting was his primary sport, John was also highly successful in All Round weightlifting. Again, winning titles and setting records.
Regarding any event involving strength and fitness, John would gladly assist with his connections and organizational ability so the competitions would draw great attendance.
A true strength sport legend and innovator that helped positively influence and shape the character of hundreds of successful individuals.
May John Rest in Peace. And our thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
2″ Vertical Bar Training Tips
September 2, 2011 | Authored by Ben Edwards | Edit by Ben Edwards
This is Ben's record lift of 251 pounds in the One Hand Vertical Bar Deadlift done at the 2011 Dino Days Record Day last weekend. This is the new ALL TIME Vertical Bar Deadlift record in the USAWA, breaking the record held of 250 pounds by Andrew Durniat. At this same record day, Ben also did a 240 pound LEFT HANDED Vertical Bar Deadlift, which is the highest left handed mark as well! (photo and caption courtesy of webmaster)
I’m going to share a few tips that have helped me push my record in the 2″ vertical bar significantly higher in my weight class over the past few years.
The key to this lift is obviously grip strength. But a sometimes overlooked factor that makes a big difference in the amount of weight that can be lifted is the grip taken on the vertical bar at the start of the lift. An over grip is the most efficient grip when performing the USAWA version of the 2” vertical bar. That distinction is made because in other grip contests that I compete in – those that are not USAWA contests – a supinated grip is far more efficient in lifting maximal poundages for most people. USAWA rules dictate that the weights attached to the vertical bar will be lifted to the required height and then held motionless until the judge gives the down command. When a supinated grip is used the weights will rotate quite a bit and tend to spin right out of the hand essentially. The supinated grip is best used to lift heavy weights over short distances – 2” is the minimum height needed to be a contest-legal lift in most non-USAWA grip contests. An over grip prevents the rotation of the plates and is therefore much more efficient than lifting the weight and then expending energy trying to stop the rotation of the weights before getting the judge’s down signal. A handshake grip will involve less rotation of the weights than the supinated grip. But it isn’t as efficient as the over grip in preventing rotation of the weights.
One simple rule I adhere to in my training is to attempt to do every lift in contest- legal form. If I fail to perform the lift in contest-legal form I note that in my training log and set my goal for the next workout a little higher than what I achieved in the last workout. I videotape all of my near-max attempts in training. While resting for the next set – I review the video to make sure that I performed the lift in contest-legal form. I also critique my form to make sure that I’m not wasting energy stopping the rotation of the plates (using an over grip usually means that I don’t worry about rotation of the plates) and that I’m pulling the vertical bar in the most direct up-and-down motion as possible. So to summarize:
Use the over grip exclusively in training.
-It is the most efficient grip for the USAWA 2” vertical bar rules.
Perform each lift in contest-legal form.
-That way when you’re attempting to break a record you won’t have any accidental lapses in form – due to training with a loose style that doesn’t exactly match the contest-legal performance of the lift.
Videotape each near-max attempt in training.
-Review the video to ensure that all of your near-max lifts are performed in contest-legal form so that you won’t have any surprises in a contest setting.
One Inch Vertical Bar
This was a 387 pound 1” vertical bar training lift (December of 2006) that was pulled a little higher than the (non-USAWA) standard grip contest minimum height requirement of 2 inches. What the photo doesn’t show is that the weights were rotating from the time they left the floor until they touched down again. Standard grip contests don’t require the rotation of the weights to be stopped – or a judge’s down signal. These more relaxed rules allow significantly more weight to be lifted compared to the strict USAWA rules.
Two Inch One Handed Vertical Bar Deadlift by Ben Edwards.
This was my event-winning 2” vertical bar lift from the 2011 USAWA National Grip Championships held at the Dino Gym in February. You can clearly see the over grip being put to work. It allowed me to pull the weights straight up – without worrying about having to stop the rotation of the plates – and then lower the weights straight down as quickly as possible after receiving the judge’s down signal.
Minimizing the time spent holding the weight is of paramount importance in maximizing your poundage lifted.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Atomic Athletic Meet
September 3, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET REPORTS and RESULTS
The 2011 Atomic Athletic Tractor Pull Weekend Meet
Dave Polzin, at age 61, performed a 220 pound Clean and Push Press at the Atomic Athletic Tractor Pull Weekend Meet.
MEET REPORT by Scott Schmidt
On August 20Th, Roger LaPointe was the Meet Director of another fun and successful USAWA All Round Weightlifting event. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, the competition drew several Hall of Fame members as well as a good amount of new members. I am providing this brief overview for our organization for 2 reasons. One, to inform our readers what took place. And two, to say Thank You to Roger for his efforts in helping grow our membership by being able to conduct competitions at his facility.
The lifts that took place were; The one arm dead lift, the clean and push press, and the trap bar dead lift. Since we had acceptable weather that day, the competition was held outdoors. Roger will be providing the detailed results from each lifter. I just wanted to let everyone know that we all had fun, many records were set, and a great spirit of camaraderie was felt by all participants.
As we know, to be successful in our sport takes a lot of effort. What was another great characteristic of this event was all the participants enthusiasm. Encouragement to one another, and a happy conclusion with the top 5 athletes receiving medals. Enjoy competing showing your strength? Join the USAWA. You will have an opportunity for recognition and be rewarded for your efforts. We have many lifts to chose from. So if you want to attend a record day meet and see what you can do, I am certain you will enjoy participating in the USAWA. We highly respect the accomplishments of any strength athlete. And you will feel proud once you can get your name on the record list.
Stay Strong!
MEET REPORT by Roger LaPointe
Boy, we sure had a great day to lift. Last Saturday, August 20, 2011, turned out to be a beautiful day. Really, any day with a weightlifting meet that goes without a hitch is a good day, but this was a GREAT day. The competition platform was outside at the Atomic Athletic Tractor Pull Weekend USAWA Meet. Outdoor meets are always a risk in Northwestern Ohio, we can have all four seasons in one day. Yet, just as it started to heat up, we had a few clouds roll in, making it slightly overcast. Perfect.
Meet Highlights
Here are some highlights from a flawless three lift All Round Weightlifting event. The lifts were: the One Hand Barbell Deadlift, Clean & Push Press, and Trap Bar Deadlift; which were competed at in that order.
The Top 5 Male Lifters, by formula were:
1stPlace: David Polzin
2ndPlace: John McKean
3rdPlace: Dennis Habecker
4th Place: Scott Schmidt
5thPlace: Roger LaPointe
While all the lifting was very well done, I really have to congratulate Dave Polzin for winning Best Lifter. His first All Round Meet was our Atomic Athletic Great Black Swamp Picnic Meet, of this last May. Dave was a National Level Olympic style weightlifter in the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. Dave’s highest placing was second in the US Nationals, in the 110 kg weight class. He was known for his powerful clean & jerk, with which he hit 200 kg (440 lbs.). It was obviously a good background for the All-Rounds, which is not always an easy transition. Dave had never done a one hand barbell deadlift until last April, yet, on Saturday, he pulled 132.5 kg (292.1 lbs.). His clean & push press was another world record for his 61 year old age group (60-64 years), at 100 kg. I believe he has more than that in him and he has to power clean the weight. Like many of us, his knees are not what they used to be. Dave had never seen a trap bar until he started training at Atomic Athletic and he pulled 205 kilos (451.9 lbs.). Today, Dave lifts in the 100 kg weight class. We hope to see a good deal more of his lifting in the All-Rounds.
Meet Facts
The officiating was outstanding, having five international level officials taking turns as judges. This was also a drug tested event. We have had two USAWA events here at Atomic Athletic, with both of them being tested. There are an increasing number of officials and regular USAWA lifters checking out what we have going on here. I really think they are most pleased by the number of new lifters we have been bringing into the organization. There were three brand new lifters competing on Saturday, with many of the new lifters competing for a second time. While attempting to maintain professionalism, we also like to keep it fun, with a relaxed and positive atmosphere.
Make sure to check out our next meet. It will be announced in the very near future. Call me at Atomic Athletic if you have any suggestions for lifts (419)352- 5100.
MEET RESULTS
Atomic Athletic Tractor Pull Weekend Meet Bowling Green, OH August 20th, 2011
Meet Director: Roger LaPointe
Officials (3 official system used): John McKean, Denny Habecker, Scott Schmidt, Art Montini, Bob Geib
Lifts: Deadlift – One Arm, Clean and Push Press, Deadlift – Trap Bar
Womens Division Lifter Age BWT DL- C&PP Trap Total Points 1arm
Shannon 32 76.4 165-R 115 275 555 548.7 Watkins
Susan Sees 48 89.8 99-R 94 209 402 393.8
Mens Division
Lifter Age BWT DL- C&PP Trap Total Points 1arm
Dave Polzin 61 99.5 292-R 220 452 964 999.0
John McKean 65 74.9 264-R 88 341 693 873.9
Denny 68 88.0 242-R 148 330 720 824.7 Habecker
Scott 58 110.0 275-R 193 358 826 792.2 Schmidt
Roger 40 74.6 270-R 165 308 743 752.9 LaPointe
Tom 59 79.2 165-R 143 308 616 714.9 Ballengee
Art Montini 83 86.1 176-R 77 242 495 656.1
Bob Geib 68 117.0 154-R 88 375 617 621.8
Tom 14 130.1 165-L 132 341 638 567.8 Montague- Casillas
Andrew 32 112.5 0 0 529 529 421.5 Titkemeier NOTES: BWT is bodyweight listed in kilograms. All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted points corrected for bodyweight adjustment and age allowance.
EXTRA LIFTS FOR RECORDS:
Tom Montague-Casillas Clean and Push Press: 143 pounds
Shannon Watkins Deadlift – Trap Bar: 286 pounds
Susan Sees Deadlift – Trap Bar: 220 pounds
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
ARE YOU REALLY WORKING HARD?
September 6, 2011 | Authored by Dave Glasgow | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
Larry Traub performing a 325 pound Zercher Lift at the 2011 USAWA National Championships in route to winning the Overall Best Lifter Award in Larry's first USAWA National Meet appearance. Obviously, Larry has worked out very hard in his life to achieve this accomplishment! (photo and caption courtesy of webmaster)
ASK ANYONE WHO TRAINS WITH WEIGHTS. ARE YOU WORKING HARD?? NINETY NINE OUT OF A HUNDRED WILL LOOK YOU RIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAY, “YES, I WORK HARD!!” HMMMM…ARE THEY REALLY??
A FEW YEARS AGO, THE WINFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT SPONSERED MY BUDDY AND EARLIEST TRAINING PARTNER, LARRY TRAUB, TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES ABOUT LIFTING AND HIS TRAINING PHYLOSOPY. WITH NUMEROUS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS AND COUNTLESS NATIONAL CHAMPS TO HIS CREDIT, AS WELL AS HIS OWN RESUME’, WE FELT HE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY!! HE WAS SCHEDULED TO TALK FOLLOWING A MORNING WORKOUT BY THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM. HE TOLD ME HE WANTED TO GO WORKOUT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE KIDS WERE HAVING THEIR WORKOUTS. LITTLE DID I KNOW THIS WAS REALLY A RECONISCONCE MISSION!!
FOLLOWING THEIR WORKOUT, HIS TALK BEGAN. LARRY’S PHIOSOPHY CAME OUT AND HE CALLED FOR ONE OF THE LIFTERS OF THAT MORNING’S WORKOUT TO COME FORWARD. AS I RECALL, HE WAS ONE OF THE ‘STRONGEST’ OF THAT GROUP AND HAD BEEN SQUATING WITH WHAT I WOULD CALL A MODERATE WEIGHT, FOR FIVE REPS. THIS SEEMED TO BE ABOUT ALL THE KID COULD HANDLE. LARRY TOLD THE BOY THAT HE WAS WATCHING HIM SQUAT EARLIER AND, ALTHOUGH HE HAD JUST FINISHED HIS WORKOUT FOR THE DAY, HE (LARRY) WOULD LIKE HIM TO TRY SOMETHING FOR HIM. LARRY LOADED THE BAR WITH THE VERY SAME WEIGHT THAT THE LAD WAS USING PRIOR AND SAID, “OKAY. I’LL BET YOU THAT, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE DONE YOUR WORKOUT, YOU CAN DO 10 REPS WITH THE SAME WEIGHT YOU WERE USING BEFORE!” EVERYONE LAUGHED, THE BOY SEEMED SKEPTICAL BUT SAID HE WOULD GIVE IT A GO. WITH EACH REP, THE LAD WAS ENCOURAGED TO “GET ONE MORE!”, AND EACH TIME, HE COMPLIDED! UNTIL HE HAD DONE 12 REPS!!
THERE WAS A LOT OF WHISPERING AND GIGGLING BUT THE POINT HAD BEEN MADE. “MAYBE WE NEED TO WORK JUST A LITTLE HARDER!”
I KNOW IN MY OWN CASE, I FIND MYSELF ON AUTO-PILOT, JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS A LOT OF THE TIME. HOWEVER, THE POINT OF THE WHOLE TALK WAS THE NEED FOR INTENSITY!! MOST ANY PROGRAM WILL BRING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SUCCESS. BUT, YOU HAVE TO BRING THE INTENSITY IN ORDER TO GET THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE WORKOUT. SO, THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE TRAINING, ASK YOURSELF. “AM I REALLY WORKING HARD!!” YOU MAY SURPRISE YOURSELF, IF YOU ARE HONEST, WITH THE ANSWER!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Rep Schemes
September 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Larry Traub
Dave Glasgow performing a Pullover and Push at the 2011 USAWA National Championships. Larry Traub is in the background to the left "looking on". (photo and caption by webmaster)
The last two emails I received from Dave Glasgow who has been my lifting partner for the last 40 years, (even though we now live 800 miles apart) went like this. The first one just encouraged me to start submitting some articles that could be used on the USAWA website. The second one went exactly like this except for some expletives deleted. (Only one, which is pretty good for Dave.) “I was thinking last evening (yeah, laugh, ************). I am doing the 5/3/1 deal and it struck me. I know that you are a fan of the 7 rep system which got me wondering……
Take a weigh that you know you can’t get 7 reps with. Do however many sets it takes to get 7 reps. Example
Set 1… 2 reps, Set 2…2 reps, Set3 … 1rep, Set4…1 rep, Set5…1 rep. OR
Set 1… 3 reps, Set 2…2 reps, Set3 … 2rep. OR
Set 1… 4 reps, Set 2…3 reps. OR
Set 1… 6 reps, Set 2…1 rep. OR
You see where I am going. As you get stronger, the intensity increases but the volume ALWAYS remains the same. So I think you have a built in safety net of not actually doing the same workout twice. When you can do one set of seven, that’s it for the day. You add weight the next workout and start over.
Thoughts??”
Well I did think about it and decided to use Dave’s idea as fodder for my article. First you need to realize how hard it is for Dave to take training advice from me. So, even though he took a principal that I used and altered it beyond recognition before he considered using it, it is still a big step for him. First, I’m not stuck on seven reps as being a magic number. What I’m really doing is focusing on the development of the type 2B muscle fibers, which get maximum stimulation for growth when failure of an exercise is reached somewhere around the 7 to 10 rep range. There are 3 types of fibers. First, the slow twitch type 1 muscle fibers which are stimulated by endurance activity and have no real ability for growth. These have no real value for a weightlifter and too much endurance activity will result in the loss of our all important fast twitch fibers. The second type is the type 2A fiber which is the fast twitch fiber that is geared towards a little more endurance and is stimulated when failure of an exercise is reached somewhere in the 12 -20 rep range. This has some limited potential for growth. It appears that it’s potential for growth is greatly increased with anabolic drugs so if you read articles about bodybuilders getting great results with high reps you need to consider the possibility of drugs being involved. The last of course is the 2B muscle fibers which are the fibers that have maximum growth potential for the bodybuilders, and maximum potential for explosive movement which is probably a focus for most every athlete except the extreme endurance athlete.
I am first and foremost a powerlifter, so what I’ve done is taken the squat bench and deadlift and focused on 7 reps as my goal for a particular workout in those lifts. I am staying in the low end of the 7-10 rep range because these are the lifts I will compete in and I want to work with as heavy a weight as possible while stimulating the type 2B fibers. For most of the other “assistance” exercises in my workout I use a 10 rep goal because I am generally not concerned about my max on these. This makes sense on another front also because it’s not really how many reps you do. It’s more about reaching failure in a certain amount of time. I believe that doing a rep on squat, bench or deadlift will generally take longer than completing a rep on one of my assistance exercises. For instance it seems reasonable that the time elapsed in doing a set of 7 in the squat might be the same or greater than doing a set of 10 on my hyperextension machine.
The late, great, West Virginia heavyweight , Luke Iams has often been quoted as saying, “Anything over 6 reps is bodybuilding.” I might agree, but would have to ask, why is that a bad thing? Bodybuilding does not imply that you have to shave your body and get out the Speedos. It just means that you are concerned with building muscle size which is directly proportional to strength. My personal experiences with competitive bodybuilding some 30 years ago has made me conscious of training the whole body and maintaining a balanced physique while training at a bodyweight where I am fairly lean. I think this emphasis has aided me in my powerlifting. It has also, absolutely, been a plus in my latest ventures in USAWA, where eventually every muscle in the body is tested and the bodyweight formula rewards a lean muscular body.
Of course there is always the concern that the person who focuses on bodybuilding will become narcissistic and egotistical. Was that a problem in my case? I would have to say, no, I’m pretty sure those personality traits were probably firmly established before I ever oiled up and took the stage. Actually, I can remember a time in college where several members of our lifting group were discussing bodybuilding. I don’t remember details, but I’m guessing the conversation reflected a general disdain for the sport. I was taken aback when a buddy spoke up and said, “You know, we’re all bodybuilders.” This guy was on the football team and eventually became a pastor. I’m sure he had no plans to ever compete as a bodybuilder. He was just recognizing the fact that we were all enjoying how weightlifting changed the way we looked and the way we felt about ourselves. Maybe that’s OK.
So, what about the lower reps? What purpose does that serve? Well, a powerlifter has to test his strength levels so he knows what attempts are feasible in a contest. He also has to give his body, and maybe more importantly, his mind an opportunity to adapt to the heavyweights. But I really think that most of the benefit that lifters experience from doing lifts in the 1-5 rep range is neuromuscular. Training their brain and body to interact is a way that allows a strong signal can be sent to the muscles, so that every available muscle fiber can be recruited for one maximum explosion of power. I usually switch to the lower reps 4 or 5 weeks away from a contest. Would I get more benefit from spending more time with the lower reps in my lifting? Who knows, but I am convinced that some combination of the lower reps and the “bodybuilding” could benefit every lifter and probably most every athlete
What about Dave’s idea. Could it result in a nice mix of type 2B fiber development and neuromuscular activity? Possibly so. Lifting is definitely not an exact science, but there a lot of science involved. A lot of different things have worked quite well for a lot of different people. I guess my feeling is this. If you have a better understanding of how all these different factors contribute to the big picture then you might have a little more success in designing the workout that gives you the results you are looking for.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
The Schubert Lifts
September 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
John Schubert's bio from the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.
I never had the opportunity to meet John Schubert. I wish that I had. Since his passing, I have heard many stories from those that knew him about his positive influence on their weightlifting careers. John was a true all rounder – he not only competed in All-Round Weightlifting meets, but also was a long time Olympic Weightlifter as well as competing in numerous “physique” (old term for today’s bodybuilding competitions) contests. You hardly ever see that cross-over competing amongst weightlifters and bodybuilders today, but in John’s era it was not uncommon. These guys trained to “be strong” as well as “look strong”. John still has a couple of records in our USAWA Record List. In the 65-69 age group, 90 KG weight class, he has the record in the Feet in the Air Bench Press with a lift of 175 pounds, and the record in the Heels Together Clean and Press with a lift of 132 pounds.
John did leave a legacy in the USAWA with two official USAWA lifts named after him. In 2000, John presented these two lifts, the Schubert Clean and Jerk, and the Schubert Clean and Push Press, to IAWA for official acceptance. They were accepted by the IAWA that year, and became known as the Schubert Lifts in the USAWA in the beginning. However, in 2009 when the USAWA Rulebook was majorly overhauled, these lifts were renamed the Reflex Clean and Jerk and the Reflex Clean and Push Press, in order to match the lift names given to these two lifts in the IAWA Rulebook. I didn’t want the Schubert distinction to be lost, so I made special note in the first line of each rule in the USAWA Rulebook that the reflex lifts are “also known as the Schubert Lifts”. John Schubert’s name will be tied to the these two lifts in the USAWA forever! (actually this would be a good rule test question in the future!).
USAWA RULES FOR THE SCHUBERT LIFTS
Scott Schmidt performing a Reflex Clean and Push Press (aka a Schubert Clean and Push Press) at the 2010 USAWA Club Challenge. John Schubert had an influence on Scott’s lifting career.
A38. Reflex Clean and Jerk
This lift is also known as the Schubert Clean and Jerk. The rules of the Clean and Jerk apply with these exceptions. Once the clean has been made, the lifter must perform a jerk immediately from this position, whether the legs are bent or erect. There is no pause between the clean and the jerk.
A39. Reflex Clean and Push Press This lift is also known as the Schubert Clean and Push Press. The rules of the Clean and Push Press apply with these exceptions. Once the clean has been made, the lifter must perform a push press immediately from this position, whether the legs are bent or erect. There is no pause between the clean and the push press.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
JWC Expands!
September 9, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
The newest addition to the USAWA's list of clubs: The Jackson Weightlifting Club: Transcon!
The last weekend of August the three JWC Members, Josh Hettinger, Mitch Ridout and myself made the trip over to Galesburg, Illinois where my brother, Tedd, had just bought a new house due to a work transfer. He had a beautiful, huge garage and wanted me to work my magic and set him up with the home gym for the hardcore lifter and that’s exactly what I did. I felt like an interior designer for hardcore lifters!
For the platform we have two layers of 3/4 CDX board with a top layer designed for two lifting platforms side by side with plywood in the middle of each and heavy duty rubber for where the bar will land. There is a power rack that used to belong to Zach Schluender, a top Olympic style lifter who has snatched around 375 and Clean & Jerked around 440lbs as a superheavy. There are squat racks that once rested in the Old JWC gym that just about everyone that’s ever lifted for the JWC has used, made from old truck wheels and axles for uprights. He has a steel log for strongman training, two full Olympic sets, adjustable squat stands, a bench that once belonged to Russ Murphy that adjusts to several angles and is heavy duty, and an assortment of other equipment. I even made him a metal sign with the JWC logo on it. I should start a new business in hardcore gym design…I’m sure there’s a huge market for that out there! Not only is Tedd’s gym ready for a hardcore workout but it already is filled with history of big lifts and lifters that will inspire your workout!
A fitting end to a hard day of training: STEAKS on the Grill! On a "Green Egg" no less, Al likes these so much he has TWO of them!
This will not just be a second location for the JWC but a second club. My brother is hoping to get some local guys interested in lifting and even hosting a meet in his gym! He even plans to register his gym with the USAWA! We have called it tentatively the “JWC Transcon” because Tedd works for the Railroad and the “Transcon” is the busiest Rail line in his company AND since has had to move his gym twice we wanted a name that could fit anywhere he goes…..but that name isn’t finalized yet!
The weekend was about as good as it gets. We had a work day setting up the gym and moving things in the house. Then we went to Peoria where we competed in the Scottish Highland Games on the next day. Then the third day was lifting and grilling big steaks on Tedd’s new “Green Egg Grill”. So, if you are in central Illinois area or know someone who is, there is now a place for you to train. Stop by and see Tedd and check out the JWC Transcon! Categories: USAWA Daily News
Kettlebells: Homemade, Cheap, and Adjustable
September 10, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Jarrod Fobes
A homemade Kettlebell, built by Jarrod Fobes.
When the kettlebell craze started several years ago, I wasn’t impressed. It seemed to me that they were expensive, took up a lot of room, and were redundant besides, since you could do the exact same exercises with dumbbells. But over time I found they were a worthwhile piece of equipment to have around. Kettlebell Swings have begrudgingly become a favorite exercise of mine, and there’s fun grip training to be had with them as well. So that takes care of the redundant part, but still left them expensive and bulky. Well trouble yourselves no more friends! It’s easy to make an adjustable “kettlebell” yourself. If I can put this together, anyone can. Here are the materials you will need: (All fittings 3/4″ diameter)
One Tee
Two 3″ Nipples
One 4″ Nipple
One 6″ Nipple
One Coupling
One Cap
The 3/4″ pipe will fit the smaller weight plates like you can find at most department stores. If you don’t have any other use for the 3/4″ plates, just buy one to put at the bottom, just above the cap to keep standard sized weights from slipping off. Slap the thing together as pictured, put some tape around the handle so you don’t cut yourself on the threads (not pictured), and there you go! Ugly, but cheap and it does the job.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Gold Cup Reminder
September 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Steve Gardner
HAVE YOU GOT YOUR ENTRY IN YET FOR THE GOLD CUP WORLD RECORD BREAKERS EVENT: Saturday 1st October?
The second biggest Annual International Event in All Round Weightlifting, and remember…… this year sees the option of lifting for the Silver Cup, for those not able to attempt a World Record at the moment, but going for National or Club records or even PB’s. This will be a classic event and the Hall of Fame Induction will also take place at the Banquet Dinner .. for more details contact:
Steve Gardner 01283 713464 [email protected]
DONT DELAY – DO IT TODAY!! Categories: USAWA Daily News
What is Art!
September 13, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Barbell Mobile at the York Barbell HQ in York, PA
I have always been a “form follows function” kind of guy. I like looking at things that are built well, built to last, built to do a job and it’s function is what makes it pleasing to look at. Like the Golden Gate Bridge is a work of art to me. Al’s Back Lift apparatus is a work of art to me. I have problems figuring out the purpose of piles of metal of globs of paint piled upon each other in some seemingly random fashion and then labels as some great statement about the destruction of the environment (no, I would say you using valuable resources to make something that serves no earthly purpose as the destruction of then environment!). But hey, as my dear ol’ Dad used to say, “Whatever trips your trigger”.
I do have to admit, I like things that utilize what I love to do….lifting weights. Recently, I was visiting the York Barbell Headquarters in York, PA and hanging from the ceiling was a huge mobile made of weights….not sure if the weights were real….and that looked cool and interesting. It also rotated slowly. However, I couldn’t help but thinking to myself how nice it would be to have those barbell plates in my gym!
Now this would be the ultimate challenge for Al Myers to build and an even greater challenge for anyone to lift if it were made of iron!
Another piece of “art” I recently saw (not in person) was an 8 ft tall Dumbbell that was being used as an advertisement of some sort. There’s a youtube video of it being made ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdDVvwayraE), it looks like they make it out of styrofoam! I have to admit, if I were walking down the street, I’d pause and check this out (and probably want my wife to take my picture trying to lift it….and yes, I would try and lift it!
They say art is in the eye of beholder and I also heard someone once say, “I don’t know what art is, but I know what I like”. Sure, I’ve been to college and took “Art Appreciation” and I can BS with the best of them on the finer points of art and answer a few trivia questions about Leonardo da Vinci or Jackson Pollock (no relation to the JWC!) But when it comes right down to it, I like the kind of art that I can use, like a 1957 Chevy, a well designed house with many architectural features, or a 500lb capacity lat pull down like Al Myers has in his gym! So, make it pretty, but make it do something other than a paper weight or something to cover a hole in the wall.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Dear Dino Man
September 14, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by the Dino Man
Marriage Advice for the Weightlifter
No wife cares what your max deadlift is. If you want to impress her with your strength, do what the Dino Man did, and show her that you can still pick her up and carry her around the beaches of Jamaica after 25 years of marriage!
Dear Dino Man,
It bothers me that my wife doesn’t seem impressed with my strength gains. When I try to talk to her about it, she acts like she isn’t listening to me. How should I handle this?
First – face the facts – she’s NOT interested in your strength gains. She only cares that you have enough strength to take out the garbage or move a piece of furniture for her. Other than that she doesn’t care at all. Accept it. And whatever you do – don’t try to talk to her about the latest lifting program you’re on. She cares about hearing all about that even less. If you want to impress her with your strength, just throw her over your shoulder every now and then. Women love that.
Dear Dino Man, My wife wants to go to the gym with me when I train. I really don’t want her to go along, but how do I tell her this without making her mad?
Just make her mad and tell her that you don’t want her there! I doubt if she is really lifting anyhow. She just wants to be there to keep an eye on you. She “pretends” to be on the exercise bike with her head phones on (but they’re not) and in fact she is listening to every word you say to the guys – am I right? My experience with hanging around gyms all my life is that relationships rarely last when one spouse only goes to the gym to “be with” the serious lifting spouse. (this goes for husbands as well!). Truthfully, I go to the gym to get away from my wife for a while – that doesn’t mean I don’t love her dearly, it’s just that I need my space every now and then, and the gym is the place I go to for that! Plus, every time your wife tags along with you to the gym your workout buddies are talking about you behind your back, wondering when you are ever going to grow a set and tell her to stay home!!
Dear Dino Man,
I want to display my lifting trophies on the mantle in our living room, but my wife doesn’t want them there – something about they don’t match the décor she has for the room. What should I do??
No wife wants your tacky weightlifting trophies mucking up her domain. The living room is her domain just as the gym is yours. Would you want her to put scented candles and a flower vase next to the squat cage? Get the trophies out of there before she throws them out! This is a fight not worth fighting. Put them in the basement, the garage, the attic, or under the bed, and go there to look at them if you have to.
Dear Dino Man,
I want to buy a new pair of squat shoes but my wife won’t let me. But she buys new shoes all the time! What do I do!
This is what I do when I want to buy something for the gym that my wife doesn’t want me to buy. Every time she buys something frivolous that she thinks I might not approve of, I steal the remaining cash out of her purse. She never mentions it to me because she’s feeling guilty over that new pair of shoes she just bought, and doesn’t want me to bring it up. When I accumulate enough of this cash, I buy what I want for the gym. When she asks about the new gym item, I tell her Scott bought it! Foolproof plan if you ask me.
Dear Dino Man,
My wife just started competing in powerlifting. I have noticed since she has been squatting heavy her gluteus has become much more muscular and enlarged. How big will it get??
Much bigger – and what is your problem with that? That sounds like a good thing to me.
Marriage tip for weightlifters (more expert advice from the Dino Man)
I have good news for all you heavy lifters, who through the years have developed a Squat Belly (much like a beer belly, ok, it looks like a beer belly, but IT’S NOT!). No longer do you have to worry about this being a problem in your marriage. I just read in Women’s Health that marriages are MUCH HAPPIER if the husband has a bigger gut than his wife. Something about it makes the wife feel less insecure in the relationship, or whatever. This is a fact – and backed with a scientific study and all. So there you have it – weightlifting leads to a happier marriage!! (as long as you don’t let her follow you to the gym that is…)
Coming next to the Dear Dino Man Advice Column: “other uses for muscle rubbing liniments”
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Rules for the Anderson Press
September 15, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Paul Anderson with a 450lb Continental Clean & Press. This photo approximates the starting point of the "Anderson Press" event at the Old Time Strongman Nationals.
The first ever USAWA Old Time Strongman National Championship will be held at the JWC Training Hall on October 16, 2011. One of the new lifts to be contested will be the “Anderson Press”. Big Paul Anderson, arguably the strongest man that ever lived, used to do some pretty unique training lifts and often rigged things up to work on what he felt were his weaknesses. One lift he came up with was to hang a barbell from a tree with a chain and do partial lockout presses. This lift was the inspiration for the lift to be contested in October!
USAWA Rules for the Anderson Press
Press (with a standard Olympic bar) will be done from a dead stop position in the power rack from a height no greater than the height of the lifter when standing erect. Lifter may “bow” back to press the weight but must keep knees locked. The lift ends when the lifter is upright, arms locked, and demonstrates control of the weight. The lifter may press in an uneven manner and unlock unevenly. It is not a disqualification if the bar is lowered during the press, and afterwards the press resumes. The feet are not allowed to move. However, the lifter may raise the heels or toes during the press. Time limit of 1 minute is given for each attempt meaning the lifter may reset as many times as necessary to complete the lift. An official will give a command to end the lift.
You will notice the rules are a lot more relaxed compared to other USAWA lifts. The idea is that the lifter will be able to handle big weights and it will be pretty evident to any spectators if they get the lift or not. I know that when I’ve attended meets I have spent a lot of time explaining to spectators that are not familiar with lifting why a completed lift did not count. While this could still happen, it’s a lot less likely and I think that’s part of the appeal of the the “Old Time Strongman” concept. It’s more spectator friendly and forgiving to the lifter! As a result, this type of meet may attract a whole new type of strength athlete to the USAWA that will then try the traditional meets as well. At least that’s my opinion. Hope you can make it in October!
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
Rules for the Anderson Squat
September 16, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
The Anderson Squat: Old Time Strongman lift
Let’s take a look at one of the new lifts for the Old Time Strongman Nationals to be held Oct. 16 at the JWC Training Hall in Kirksville, Missouri. First, let’s review what the “Old Time Strongman” is before we talk about this brand new lift. Old Time Strongman in the USAWA will included lifts popularized or used by strongmen of years past. The lifts must be loadable (So the bar can be loaded to any weight so any skill level can make the lift and not just have a heavy apparatus with a set weight). The idea is that you will have a strongman contest that can be contested by a wide variety of skill levels and ages.
Today’s focus is on the “Anderson Squat”. Paul Anderson, one of the greatest strongmen of all time, was famous for his leg strength. Ol’ Paul had a lot of unorthodox training techniques often born out of necessity (in other words, “he didn’t have the proper equipment so he just rigged something up and lifted it!”). One of the more famous lifts he employed was squatting barrels filled with junk from a hole in the ground. The story goes Paul loaded it and dug a hole deep enough he could get under it and do a partial squat. He would then throw some dirt in the hole, slowly filling it up, so that he would have to get a little lower each time to complete the lift. I found a great photo of Paul doing the lift and evidently that day he was short on iron so a couple of pretty girls volunteered! Don’t worry, if we run low on weights at the meet, I’ll be happy to climb on top for extra weight!
USAWA Rules for the Anderson Squat
A squat (with a standard Olympic bar) done from a dead stop from a height not over two thirds the height of the lifter. Squat is completed when the knees are locked and the lifter is standing erect. Time limit of 1 minute is given for each attempt meaning the lifter may reset as many times as necessary to complete the lift. Knee wraps or knee sleeves will be allowed. An official will give a command to end the lift.
The uniqueness of this event is doing a squat from a dead stop. It is also the challenge of it! It will be interesting to see what kind of numbers we can put up in this event….and I don’t think Paul will have anything to worry about in regards to anyone coming close to breaking his records in this style of lifting.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
Rules for the Dumbbell Shoulder
September 17, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Two big Dumbbells.....could either one be shouldered in the "Dumbbell Shoulder" event at the Old Time Strongman Nationals?
When Al and I discussed me hosting the Old Time Strongman Nationals one of the things that I wanted to do was come up with some new lifts. The “OTS” concept is to have lifts that aren’t current USAWA lifts, that have more relaxed rules, be able to raise or lower the weight, be done for a max attempt, and be something the old timers did. What followed was me sending Al numerous lifts and him pointing out how they were already USAWA lifts or did not fit the criteria in some way! In my research I came across the weightlifting for the 1904 Olympics. It was very different than from today. There were actually two separate events, a barbell competition and a Dumbbell competition. There were several Dumbbell lifts and one of them involved cleaning a heavy dumbbell. I stumped Al on this one. There are no current USAWA lifts that involved cleaning a dumbbell and Al thought there ought to be so he shot down my idea based on the fact that we need to add that lift to the regular USAWA lifts….as a result it COULDN’T be an OTS event! So, I came back with this event, as inspired by that 1904 Olympic event and thus the name!
USAWA Rule for the 1904 Dumbbell Shoulder
A Dumbbell will be taken from the floor to the shoulder using any method the lifter wants to employ. The dumbbell may be lifted with two hands, continental style, may be rested on the belt during the lift, by any part of the dumbbell. Hands may grip the plates, bar, collars or any part of the dumbbell. Any size plate may be loaded onto the dumbbell.The lift is completed when the lifter is standing upright, with the dumbbell resting on the shoulder, and the lifter demonstrating control. Both hands may remain on the dumbbell to complete the lift, or with one hand or both hands off the dumbbell. Time limit of 1 minute is given to complete the lift. An official will give a command to end the lift.
So, we will give this one a try. It may be a “one and done” event in that we will have to see how this one plays in competition. If it does, then great! At the least, it is a unique event and it will be interesting to see how much we can do!
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
Frank in the News
September 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Frank Ciavattone on the front page of Dale Harder's Strength and Speed Newsletter. I was pleasantly surprised when I received my last issue of Dale Harder’s Strength and Speed Newsletter and the “front page feature” was none other than Frank Ciavattone. Frank is one of the founders of the USAWA, and arguably the strongest lifter that has ever competed in the USAWA. I was so glad to see Frank get this recognition in Dale’s newsletter – because he deserves it! Frank has won numerous USAWA and IAWA titles. I once saw the list of Frank’s Championships and it was so long it took two pages! Frank is a true all-rounder, and there were not very many lifts he didn’t excel in. He was a great bar lifter, grip lifter, heavy lifter, and he even excelled at the one arm lifts. His one arm deadlift of 562 pounds is an ALL-TIME record in the USAWA and the IAWA. I consider this record of his the ALL-TIME record of ALL-TIME. It is the highest of any one arm deadlifts that actually HAD officials judge it. Sure, Herman Goerner may have the credit for the best ALL-TIME one arm deadlift, but outside of some witnesses, it was not actually judged.
I have known Frank for several years, but in Dale’s story on him I even learned a few new things about Frank (including some pictures I had not seen before). Dale has always been very supportive of all-round weightlifting and the USAWA. His newsletter is a must read, and one of the few printed newsletters covering weightlifting nowadays. I would like to tell more of this story on Frank, but I don’t want to give away all of Dale’s story. You need a subscription to Strength and Speed for that!
For subscribing to the Strength and Speed Newsletter and ordering any of Dale’s great books covering weightlifting, check out his website - http://www.strengthospeedia.org/. Dale’s email address is [email protected].
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Inman Mile
September 19, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dino Gym member Adam Kirchman training the Yoke Walk with 650 pounds over a 100 foot course in a recent workout. Adam would be my choice among gym members who would have the best chance of achieving the Inman Mile.
Recently I have had some email correspondance with a lifter interested in the Inman Mile. Of course the first question EVER asked regarding this event is - ”HAS IT EVER BEEN DONE?” The Inman Mile is definitely unlike all of the other official lifts of the USAWA. First of all, it can hardly be called a lift. It is the only official lift in the USAWA Rule Book where poundage is not listed in the record list. Instead, this event is for TIME. Let’s start with a review of the rules:
USAWA Rules for the Inman Mile
The lifter will take a bar onto the shoulders with a weight equal to 150 per cent of the lifter’s bodyweight. The lifter will then carry this weight a distance of one mile. Gait is optional. Stopping to rest is allowed, but neither the lifter nor the weight may be supported in any manner. The bar must not be touched by any assistants once the mile has begun or it will be a disqualification. The bar must stay on the back the entire mile. The lifter may be handed refreshments during the mile. Records will be kept for time. Now to the answer whether it has ever been done. IT HAS NOT (at least not officially in the USAWA). Since it has not been completed EVER no records are recorded for it in both the USAWA and IAWA Record Lists. The rules specifically state that “records will be kept for time”. A good attempt at this doesn’t get you a record for distance. You must finish the Mile. I have received several emails in the past asking about this novelty event in the USAWA. I have always responded that if the person in question could succeed with the Inman Mile (maybe a little video proof would need to be provided to me), I would do whatever was needed in order to help them get this listed as an “official record” in our organization. Even if this included me getting on a plane and flying to the coast for the weekend, or enlisting someone I know in the area who is an active reputable official for the USAWA to go there and witness and officiate it. I also have said that accomplishing the Inman Mile would have to be considered as one of the BEST STRENGTH FEATS ever done in the USAWA. I really hope someday someone does accomplish it. I have enough sense to know that this is something I could NEVER DO, so “that person” will not be me. I know lifters who have tried, and some who I thought might have a chance, but in all instances they failed miserably. The limit is always maintaining the bar on the shoulders. As you tire, the bar slips down the back, and once this happens the hope for the mile is lost.
As I already said, I consider this a novelty lift in the USAWA. We have a few others in our list of official lifts that would fit this category as well. There has been talk of eliminating some of these obscure lifts that no one can do from the USAWA list of official lifts in the past, but truthfully, I don’t think that is a good idea. I say this because eventually someone WILL do them, and when they do, it will become something to talk about! I receive as many inquistive emails regarding these lifts as the others. I guess you could call it curiosity appeal – and it turn gives exposure to the USAWA.
If you do an internet search on the Inman Mile you will see it “pop up” several times. Often it appears in forums, where this “challenge” is mentioned by someone. I even found talk of it in some backpacking forums. I KNOW the USAWA is the root behind all this, as we are the ones who in a sense, created the Inman Mile. However, no one knows “the story” behind the Inman Mile besides maybe only a few of us. I wouldn’t know it if it wasn’t for person responsible for naming it telling me! And that person is NONE OTHER than the FATHER of the USAWA Bill Clark. So I plan to tell it here for the first time on the internet. Bill named this lift after Jerry Inman, a powerlifter who was originally from Billings, Missouri (and a leader in a well known powerlifting club at the time – the Billings Barbell Club). The time frame of this was the late 1970s and early 1980s. Jerry was a marine (and it would take a hard-headed marine to come up with something this grueling). For a while, he lived in Olathe, Kansas. When he found Bill Clark’s gym in Columbia, Missouri he was introduced to all-round weightlifting by Bill. When Jerry Inman told Bill he thought he could walk a mile with a bar loaded to 150% of his bodyweight on his back, it inspired Bill to name this event after him. Jerry was never successful with this quest, but his mindset of THINKING he could do it and the effort of taking on the impossible, lead to this mysterious event to be forever named after him! His best effort of 246 yards in 1979 is recorded in an old Missouri Valley Newsletter . Jerry was a fit 148# powerlifting marine, in the prime of his life when he tried also. It would take someone like that to even have a remote chance of being successful with the Inman Mile. But when it does happen – I want to be there firsthand to watch it!
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
KEEP OUT THE LUNKS!
September 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Big John Conner, of the Dino Gym, competed this past weekend at the Olympia Strongman Challenge. John is a professional strongman and would be considered a "lunk" in most all commercial gyms.
Recently on the USAWA Discussion Forum I posted a news story video about a hardcore lifter who got “thrown out” of a Planet Fitness Health Club for being a “lunk”. It would be easy to think this was all a joke – but the disturbing part is that most of it is not! Planet Fitness has been very open and firm in their policies regarding lifters who are hardcore lifters, and that is they are not wanted. Just go to Planet Fitness’s website to see a list of these policies. But first, watch the video, which I’m going to call – KEEP OUT THE LUNKS
The parts of this video which I found the most humorous were:
1. Planet Fitness is discriminating against “muscled americans”. 2. A “no grunting policy” that includes even heavy breathing! 3. The comment “all the animals can be in one cage” when referring to the heavy lifters. 4. And of course the Planet Fitness LUNK ALARM!
I was also humored when the cute little blond representing Planet Fitness called these heavy lifters lunks, meatheads, lunk heads, and even jerks! Those are harsh words! All this got me thinking about the guys in my Dino Gym, and I have come to the conclusion that the Dino Gym ONLY contains lunks, and we are that place referred to as where “all the animals can be in one cage”! I don’t care to question Planet Fitness business tactics on this, because in all truth, heavy lifters in a gym are intimidating to most other club members (I’m not going to even call them lifters) who are as weak as a newborn kitty. Plus, add in the fact that heavy lifters NEVER miss a workout and are the ones hardest on fancy gym equipment, it makes sense to keep out this element. The BEST CLIENTS of fitness clubs are people who have lots of money to always keep their gym membership paid up, but never show up to actually work out. That’s who fitness clubs like to cater to, not guys who are gym rats.
Now back to the lunks in the Dino Gym. It does bother me when people classify heavy lifters as lunks or meatheads, in which implying these guys are of lesser intelligence or “dummies”. Most of my training partners are very successful in life and with their jobs. Sure, when you first meet Scott “THE ENFORCER” Tully you would think the only job he could get would be a bouncer, but Scott is an educated man and has worked as a financial broker. That’s right – people PAY Scott to handle their money. That’s not a job for a lunk! Now take Chad “THE CHAMP” Ullom. At first glance you would think the only job he could get would be a stunt double for Stone Cold Steve Austin. And let me tell you this – you would have to be a real dummy to take THAT JOB because I’m sure Stone Cold wouldn’t leave the easy stuff for ya! But “in real life” Chad is a Pharmacist and has a very demanding job as a regional manager for Walgreens. That’s not a job for a lunk! How about John “THE GIANT” Conner? At 6 foot 9 and close to 400 pounds, John is one of the most intimidating individuals you would ever meet. He has got thrown out of most all the gyms in Wichita for being a lunk. Now the only place he can train is the Dino Gym. The problem is that he is so dang strong he bends all the bars and breaks all the equipment in commercials gyms! (but he hasn’t bent a bar in the Dino Gym yet, because we cater to lunks). But when you meet John he is one of the nicest guys you would ever meet, and he is the best artist I know. Most don’t know this, but John is the guy who did the art work for our USAWA logo. That’s not a job for a lunk! Next take Mark “BIG POPPA” Mitchell. Mark’s got shoulders wider than a doorframe, and legs as thick as tree trunks. At first glance you might mistakenly think Mark was in the personal security business, and worked as a body guard. Possibly even a night security guard somewhere. But Mark is also an educated man, and serves as a senior probational officer. That’s not a job for a lunk! I could go “on and on” with these examples of guys in the gym. Look outside the Dino Gym and you see this as well. Take Eric ”THE ICEMAN” Todd for example. He clearly looks like a lunk on the outside, and at competitions when he gets intense he gives you that look that Chuck Liddell gives guys before he busts their heads. I’m sure the LUNK ALARM would go off the minute ET opens the front door of a Planet Fitness. But in real life, Eric is a schoolteacher who spends his days “shaping the minds” of our youth. That’s not a job for a lunk! What about Thom “BIG T” Van Vleck – is he a lunk? Thom exhibits every physical trait of a lunk – shaved head, big gray goatee, and he likes to “eye ball” people he first meets. But believe it or not, Thom is a counselor at a Medical School and is responsible for helping struggling medical students deal with their problems. That’s not a job for a lunk!
I think I have made my point. Lunks are good people, and I’m glad to be part of this brotherhood! Who wants to train at a Planet Fitness anyhow? Just come to the Dino Gym and you will fit right in! Categories: USAWA Daily News
USAWA Lifters Dominate Highlander Nationals
September 21, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
NAHA Nationals held in Omaha, Nebraska
The NAHA (North American Highlander Association) held it’s annual National Championships in Omaha, Nebraska on September 17, 2011. A full meet report can be found at www.nahighlander.com. The “Highlander” concept of strength competition combines Scottish Highland Games events with an equal number of Strongman events. This particular event had the Stone Put, Weight Over Bar, and Heavy Hammer for the Highland Games events and the 12″ Log Clean & Press, Farmers Walk, and a Giant Tire Flip/Keg Carry Medley for the strongman events.
It is interesting to note that the event was DOMINATED by current or past USAWA members! In the Lightweights we saw Tim Pinkerton make a comeback after a couple of years away from competition to squeak out a win. The next three classes were won by current USAWA members. In the Middleweights, Andrew Durniat won easily. The Heavyweights saw yours truly win with a tie breaker in a three way tie for 1st. Finally, John O’Brien won the masters easily after winning every single event, and was the only athlete to do that in the competition. It’s no surprise to me that a competition that seeks to combine two sports would be dominated by athletes that excel in the the USAWA, an organization made up of 100’s of lifts. The athleticism needed to do well in so many lifts means the lifter is used to applying his strength in many different ways and not in just a few, select, and narrow ways.
So, to my fellow USAWA friends who competed with me Saturday, Good Job! And to my JWC brother John, way to go!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Wilf Chapman RIP
September 23, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I just recently learned that Wilf Chapman, of Australia, had passed away this summer. I have had the honor of competing against Wilf in a few competitions, with the first one being the 2006 IAWA World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The above tribute appeared in the publication, “The All-Round Strength Athlete”. This is the official written publication of the ARWLWA.
I will never forget meeting Wilf the first time. Myself being a newcomer to the International scene of All Round Weightlifting at the time, I didn’t know very many of the other lifters in attendance. Wilf IMMEDIATELY “struck up” a conversation with me at the night before get together, and we spent a long time talking. He made me feel quite welcomed, and in turn I was tremendously impressed with his outgoing friendly personality. I had my Dad with me at this meet as well, and Wilf thought my father was my brother. We all found this funny (especially Dad and Wilf) and ever since that time when I would see Wilf he would ask me “how my brother was doing”. That was just his personality. I will miss him. REST IN PEACE WILF!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Dino Strength Training Center
September 24, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Scott Tully
The front of the newly opened Dino Strength Training Center. We are proud to announce the opening of the new Dino Strength Training Center at 703 Bishop street in Salina, KS. This is the version of our training facility that was formerly in Lon Beffort’s basement. These past 5 years we have acquired so much equipment and training partners we needed a much larger area. We found a commercial space in Salina that is 3200 square foot, with a large overhead door in the back and open lot to train strongman, GPP, or bbq, with the third being our favorite! The other interesting thing about the space is that it has been a gym of some sorts for over 30 years, starting out as salina weight training, then bensons, and until recently reps and sets. This also was the first gym Lon, Mark, Chuck and myself belonged to in Salina. When Chuck and I walked in it looked like someone tossed in a grenade and ran, but after 300+ hours and 3 tons of construction waste removed we feel we have put together a top notch training center for powerlifting, strongman, oly lifting, all around or to just get in better shape.
We consider this a extension of the Dino Gym in Holland in purpose, as the goal is to come here and get stronger. Our core group is Chuck, Tyler, and Matt Cookson, Lon Beffort, Mark Mitchell, Al Myers, Stephan Kency, Darren Barnhart, Allan English and myself. We also have as of now about 30 other members who actively train here. Our rates are very reasonable: 30 for a single, 35 for a couple, or 40 for a family. Members also get a key so they can train when they like. We are currently looking at dates to host an all around competition, and will be holding strongman and powerlifting comps in the near future.
Check us out on facebook - with search words being Dino Strength Training Center.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
The Day I Met Al Myers
September 26, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Al Myers breaking the World Record in the sheaf toss in the professional division
Al Myers and I have been friends for a LONG time. Well, at least 16 years anyways. I was digging through some old photos the other day and came across this gem. It was the Highlands Ranch Highland Games in 1995. My first competition ever in the Highland Games. I was competing in the Novice Division with 12 other throwers and got 2nd overall that day, winning 4 of 7 events outright. Who beat me? Brian Myers, Al’s brother!
Here’s what I recall that day. You have to understand first that most Highland Games has “classes” of throwers. There’s a C class (usually for beginners), B class, A class (top amateur) and Pro class (the best of the best). Also masters and women. Al was there in the pro class and won it that day, so he was a top pro thrower at the top of his game at that time. You also have to understand that the groups will rotate events all day, so that when one group is on the hammer, another might be on the caber so in between throws you can watch the other groups throw. I recall watching Al hit some big numbers that day. But most of all, the last event for him was the sheaf toss. And boy, did Al give a clinic!
The Sheaf is a 16lb simulated “hay” bale, usually rope or twine wrapped in a burlap bag. You use a pitch fork to launch it up and over a crossbar for height. Al was a 300lber then and had about 30lbs on me back then (how things have changed!). I was done with all my events and went over to watch the action. The bar kept going higher and higher and soon the only one left was Al. I remember my wife was wanting to go, but then I heard that Al would attempt a WORLD RECORD in the sheaf toss! I had to see that, but I also had been eyeing his attempts and really doubted he had that much in him. The sheaf standards were raised as high as they would go! In other words, the bar would go no higher and there was only one other time I’ve seen the standards “topped out” like that and the second time was just this year when Dan McKim, the current Pro National and World Champ, topped them out in Wichita. Al got set, began to swing the bar back and forth and with a mighty swing launched that sheaf up and over the bar. Al probably doesn’t remember this, but I went over and shook his hand and congratulated him….along with 5o other people!
I left that day not really sure if I’d ever compete in a highland games again, and not realizing that Al would some day be one of my best friends. I also didn’t realize that Al’s brother in law was somebody I had already competed against in the predecessor of the USAWA, Clark’s Odd lift meets. None other than Bob Burtzloff! It really is a small world. I have never forgotten that day because here was Al, at the top of the heap, the winner of the Pro class and me competing (and almost beating) his brother in the lowest group of all. But each time I talked to Al during the day, he was friendly, encouraging, and offered advice. A true sportsman! So, becoming his friend was easy because he was my kind of guy right from the start. It also sold me on highland games!
So, be nice to everyone. You never know when you’ll run into them again. And thanks Al, your encouragement that day set the standard for myself and brought me into a sport I truly love!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Club Certificates
September 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
This is an example of the new USAWA Club Certificates for 2011. This certificate is for Habeckers Gym - the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year.
I have spent some time lately updating the Club page on the website. We now have 13 registered clubs in the USAWA. This is the most of any year to date. On this page I included 2011 Member Club Certificates for each club. The certificate is a pdf, so if you are interested in printing it off you may do so as many times as you like! Some of our clubs now have multiple locations (i.e. Ledaig Club, the JWC, and the Dino Gym), so this way each location can have it’s own certificate for the wall. Plus, now all club members can have a copy if they want to.
I was curious how the “CLUB RACE” for the 2011 Club of the Year was going, so I calculated the points for each club “to date”. As per the rules of this competition, the defending Club of the Year is ineligible the next year, thus Habecker’s Gym was not included in this years tally. There are still a couple of big competitions coming up (the Gold Cup and the World Championships) where club members can generate big points for their club. Let this be motivation to show up and support these competitions, and in turn represent your club in the USAWA Club Race!
Club Rankings to Date
1. Dino Gym – 48 pts 2. Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 21 pts 3. Clark’s Gym – 14 pts 4. JWC – 12 pts 5. Atomic Athletic – 9 pts Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Flour Packing Contest
September 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Uwe Meyer training for a flour packing contest. This takes the Inman Mile to the extreme!
All of the recent talk on the Inman Mile in the USAWA Discussion Forum brought up another topic. Longtime USAWA member Tom Ryan brought up a competition I had never heard of before – Flour Packing. He posted a video of this competition in the forum, but I’m going to include it here as well for those of you that don’t follow the forum -Video of Flour Packing Contest. The rules of the contest is to carry a max load of flour over a 50 foot course. This event is part of the annual Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous held in Whitehorse, Canada. This dates for this year’s competition is February 23-26, 2012. Many other events are contested throughout the several days of this festival, including: sled dog races, a dog pull, a wilderness survival contest, a trapping contest, chainsaw competitions, a partner pack competition, and even things like a beard growing contest and tattoo competition!
The above photo with newspaper caption was sent to me by Tom Ryan. I would guess it was taken in the 1970’s because Uwe Meyer held the record in flour packing at that time, with his carry of 850 pounds of flour. Tom must keep everything that interests him because I don’t know of too many people who keep clips from newspapers that long! (also it shows your age Tom!!). But I’m glad he did – because it gives us something to talk about today in the USAWA Daily News. Since that time, Richard Chipett has raised the record to 1002 pounds.
If you are further interested in the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, they do have a quite extensive website covering the festival (Yukon Festival Website).
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Art’s Birthday Bash
March 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT:
ART’S
BIRTHDAY BASH
2011 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011
AMBRIDGE V.F.W. BBC GYM
1098 DUSS AVENUE
AMBRIDGE, PA 15003
SANCTIONED BY: U.S.A.W.A.
ENTRY FEE: Donations to help pay for insurance
LIFTS: Your choice of FIVE. SET or BREAK existing records
WEIGH IN: 8:00 AM
LIFTS SET TO A MAX OF FIVE
Click here for a pdf entry form – Art’s Birthday Bash Entry
Gold Cup
April 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Steve Gardner
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2011 IAWA GOLD CUP
‘WORLD RECORD BREAKERS EVENT’
POWERHOUSE GYM, BURTON ON TRENT, ENGLAND
SATURDAY 1st OCTOBER
Rules of the Gold Cup Competition
1. All Lifters MUST be Current IAWA Members 2. Lifters who are current World Record Holders can attempt a new World Record for the ‘GOLD CUP’
(The first attempt on the platform has to be for the new World Record!)
3. Lifters who are not current World Record Holders are eligible to lift for the ‘Silver Cup’ for a
National or Club Record or a new Personal Best
Gold Cup Promoter: Steve Gardner – 18 Holly Road, Barton under Needwood, Staffs. DE13 8LP
England Tel: 01283 713464 or 07960960509 E Mail: [email protected]
Lifting Venue: Powerhouse Gym, The Pakistani Community Centre, 228 – 231 Uxbridge Street,
Burton on Trent, Staffordshire DE14 3LA England
Banquet Venue: The St. Andrews Suite, Branston Golf & Country Club, Branston, Burton upon Trent,
Staffordshire DE14 3DP, England
Accomodation:
Any lifter from home or abroad that will be looking for accommodation, please contact the promoter as soon as possible and he will deal with your accommodation needs, finding the best lodgings at the best price to suit you!
Competition Entry Fee: £35 Banquet Fee: £17.50
The Banquet will also be the venue for the 2011 Induction to the IAWA(UK) Hall of Fame
For Entry Form – 2011 IAWA GOLD CUP
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events | Strongman Nationals
September 5, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
by Thom Van Vleck
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2011 USAWA OLD TIME STRONGMAN NATIONALS
Frederick Winters working with a really big Dumbbell at the 1904 Olympics. There were several Dumbbell lifts done at this contest and one is serving as the inspiration for a lift at this years Old Time Strongman Nationals.
The first ever USAWA Old Time Strongman Nationals will be held on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011 at the Jackson Weighlifting Club Training Hall. This will be in conjunction with a fun filled weekend of strength that includes a Scottish Highland Games on Oct. 15th. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at the Highland Games this is your chance to get two events in one weekend. There is even a special discounted entry for both! Soon I will have all the information up at www.jacksonweightliftingclub.com!
First, a quick note on the Highland Games on Saturday. This will include 7 traditional Scottish feats of strength. The hammer throws, the Weights for Distance, the Weight Over Bar, the Sheaf stone, the Stone put, and last but not least, the caber toss. Now, to the Strongman contest. Earlier this year Al Myers held the first ever USAWA Old Time Strongman contest at the Dino Gym. It was a great success. Al and I discussed it and said there ought to be a Nationals each year and I offered to hold it at the JWC Training Hall. In the coming weeks we will be highlighting the events. The rules of the lifts are included with the entry forms.
OLD TIME STRONGMAN LIFTS CONTESTED
Anderson Press
Anderson Squat
Dinnie Lift
1904 Dumbbell to Shoulder
Entry form for the USAWA Old Time Strongman Nationals (pdf) - Old Time Strongman Nationals Entry Form
Entry form for the Kirksville Highland Games (pdf) - Kirksville Highland Games Entry Form
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Hoodie Sweatshirt
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – HOODIE SWEATSHIRT
Hoodie Sweatshirt
Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
Medium Black OUT OF STOCK.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store
Patch
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – USAWA PATCH
USAWA Patch Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
Item is in stock.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store
Sports Bottle
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – SPORTS BOTTLE
Sports Bottle
Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
Item is in stock. Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store
USAWA Rulebook
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – USAWA RULEBOOK
USAWA Rulebook
Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
Item is in stock.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store Short Sleeve T-Shirt
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT
Short Sleeve T-Shirt
Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
All sizes are in stock.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store Official Judging Shirt
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – OFFICIAL JUDGING SHIRT
Official Judging Shirt
Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
All sizes are in stock.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store Long Sleeve T-Shirt
October 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
ONLINE STORE – LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT
Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Order forms are available under FORMS AND APPLICATIONS.
Large Grey OUT OF STOCK.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Store | A Sign from Above!
October 4, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Underneath an Anvil shaped sign in Lindsborg, Kansas
I like challenges. I guess that’s why I lift weights. For the past 30 plus years I’ve sat down with paper and pen and wrote up countless workout routines, set goals, and made plans. I also have traveled far and wide to meet with the best, learn from them, and been inspired by them. I have also looked from inspiration from things around me for my lifting. This could be something I would want to lift, but it could also be something that would inspire me to train harder and lift more!
Recently, I was in Lindsborg, Kansas with my family after competing in the McPherson Scottish Highland Games. My wife and I both have some Swedish ancestry (her being one quarter Swedish) we wanted to go by Lindsborg and soak up some of the Swedish atmosphere….and food! While we walked around I saw the sign in the above photo. Back in the day, most people couldn’t read so shop owners would have signs that told you what they did by their shape as much as by what they said. Did you know that barber poles represent veins and arteries because barbers used to draw blood to remove “bad blood” back when people thought that would cure their illnesses? Blacksmiths would, of course, use an anvil! I like anvils. If you don’t know the story of Grandpa Jackson’s anvil then you probably don’t know me. But just in case, I have an anvil that’s been in my family for 4 generations and lifted by all 4 generations….maybe more! I know it’s at least pre-Civil War, who knows. But more importantly, it was the inspiration for my grandfather to begin lifting weights, that led to my Uncles lifting, and me and the many, many lifters that came out of the Jackson Weightlifting Club. So, when I was walking down the street, this sign inspired me. It was symbolic of a trade, but it has become symbolic of strength, hard work, and do-it-yourself type attitude.
Now, it’s funny when I mentioned this, John O’Brien stated that when I had ideas, he often ended up getting hurt. But in this case, I was just thinking about making a sign for my gym like the one above. Because I want my gym to be symbolic like the anvil. Symbolic of hard work, sweat of your brow, can-do, and self determination. So, this was a just a sign for most walking by, but for me…..it was a sign from above!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Gold Cup
October 5, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Steve Gardner
The 2011 Gold Cup
A major highlight of the 2011 IAWA Gold Cup was the IAWA(UK) Hall of Fame induction of Sam Hills and Steve Sherwood. Pictured in left picture (left to right): Steve Gardner, Frank Allen, Sam Hills. Pictured in right picture (left to right): Steve Gardner, Steve Andrews, Steve Sherwood
The lifting at this year’s Gold Cup was outstanding, the list of different lifts attempted was both varied and very interesting to witness. During the day we were treated to several attempts on lifts that were in fact the heaviest ever done in any weight class on those particular disciplines. Junior lifter: Emily Myers (from the USA) at 19 years old, was the youngest competitor, whilst Frank Allen from England, William Wright from Scotland and Denny Habecker from the USA were the most senior competitors, all at 69 years young. After the lifting, the banquet dinner was held at Branston Golf and Country Club, where everyone had a wonderful time, and Steve and Karen Gardner were assisted at the presentation by their Grand Son: 5 years old Dominic, who made a good job of shaking everyones hand, and when Paula asked if she could have a kiss, he simply replied ‘No’ with no expression at all (give him a few years Lol!)
The IAWA (UK) Hall of Fame 2011 Induction
The IAWA(UK) HOF bi- annual Induction ceremony was carried out at the Awards Banquet at Branston Golf and Country Club, following the presentation for the Gold Cup. Inductees were: Sam Hills (awards presented by Frank Allen and Steve Gardner) and Steve Sherwood (awards presented by Steve Andrews and Steve Gardner). Steve Sherwood from Hull in Yorkshire has been a great ambassador for all round lifting, and was coached by the late Harold Akrill, and trained with Clive Nevis. Many times British and IAWA World Champion, Steve has always been a master technician on the lifts, and his one hand deadlift record of 200 kilos at 70 kilos bodyweight has stood for many years. Sam Hills from Hastings in East Sussex has been trained by the great Mike Archer (inducted member). Sam has been a great supporter of all round weightlifting, and counts amongst his favourite moments in the sport, as being presented with the award for being the overall best lifter at the IAWA World Championships in Australia.
RESULTS OF THE 2011 GOLD CUP - IAWA 2011 Gold Cup World Record Breakers
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Counting Your Chickens Before They Hatch
October 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Larry Traub
2011 USAWA Women's National Champion Amber Glasgow in action with the Dumbbell Snatch at the 2011 USAWA National Championships. The Ledaig Club won all the major awards at the 2011 Championship - Best Female Lifter, Best Male Lifter, and Best Team. (photo and caption courtesy of the webmaster).
I was competing in the USAWA National Championship last June, and I had just completed my second cheat curl attempt. I was competing for the newly formed national champion team, Ledaig. After I completed the attempt I was approached by the founder and fearless leader of the Ledaig club, Dave Glasgow, who proceeded to ask me, “What were you smiling about before you went out to lift?”
There was a not too subtle implication in his question that I looked like an idiot. First, the attempt was successful, so the humiliation of looking foolish is superseded by attaining a successful lift. Second, maybe the foolish smile on my face facilitated the successful lift. Let me explain. As the bar was being loaded I was visualizing the performance of that particular lift, and of course, the successful completion of that lift. If completing a big lift on the platform brings a smile to your face then the visualization of that lift should do the same. I guess I was doing the thing that we’ve all been told not to do, and that’s, ‘counting my chickens before they hatch.’ I think that in this case the old adage fails us. Celebrating the success of the lift before the actual performance of the lift helps create the confidence and the desire to complete the lift.
Some studies have shown that in an activity that is primarily a skill movement, like shooting free throws, that mentally practicing may be just as effective as actually going to the gym and shooting. I don’t think that’s going to quite cut it in the lifting world, but I’m pretty sure that mentally doing a set of heavy squats, followed by the actual performance of that set might increase your chances of success.
We’ve probably all heard Yogi Berra’s quote, “90% of the game is half mental.” His game was, of course, baseball and according to my math (and I’m a math teacher) baseball would be 45% mental. In our game it might even be more than that, but who can put a number on it? A recent study shows that 67.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot anyway. The important thing would be recognizing how important it is to believe that you can perform a certain lift, and visualizing yourself doing it is a way of convincing your subconscious that it can be done.
Several years ago I was coaching a high school lifter at teenage nationals and he came up to me before his third attempt deadlift and said, “Coach, I don’t think I can pull this.” I just shrugged and told him that he might as well go to the scoring table and pass his third attempt. My coaching strategy at this point was to piss him off a little so he would get fired up and go pull the lift. I would like to tell you it was a brilliant piece of coaching that resulted in a big deadlift, but to tell you the truth, I don’t remember what happened. I do believe, however, that I had to make some effort to change his mindset. Telling him to go out there and give it his best shot would just reinforce his lack of confidence and would give him no opportunity for success.
Recognizing the mental aspect of our sport is one thing. Learning how to utilize this mental aspect may require some effort, but you may be drawing on a previously untapped resource, and tapping that resource just might take you to a new level of performance.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | Clark’s Gym Meet Schedule
October 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Bill Clark (left) and Rudy Bletscher (right). This picture was taken a couple of years ago, at the Deanna Springs Meet. Notice that Bill is tallying the scores using a hand calculator and pen and pad. No fancy computer, or even a printed scoresheet is needed for Bill to figure the day's results!
The Clark’s Gym Meet Schedule is now available. USAWA events hosted in Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri have been some of the longest running meets in the history of the USAWA. Meets like the Zercher Strength Classic and the Backbreaker Pentathlon have been signature meets in the USAWA, and have the historic significance of defining the All Rounds in the United States. As per custom in meets hosted by Bill Clark, there are no entry fees or entry forms to send in. There are no awards given. I have asked Bill in the past why he doesn’t give out awards, and his reply to me was “if you want one buy your own!”. That sounded like a good reason to me! After all, there are not very many events you can go to now a days that are free like Clark’s Gym Meets. You get to enjoy a great day of lifting, along with all the free wisdom you want from the Father of All-Round Weightlifting himself Bill Clark, and it won’t cost you a dime! It is important that you contact Bill at least 3 days in advance that you plan on attending. If not, you might show up on meet day and the meet has been cancelled (if no one has pre-entered).
Clark’s Gym Meet Schedule
November 6th, 2011 – Schmidt’s Backbreaker Pentathlon
November 26th, 2011 – Goerner Deadlift Dozen plus One
January 28th, 2012 – Zercher Strength Classic
March 24th, 2012 – Deanna Springs Memorial Meet
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
My take on the Gold Cup
October 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
A highlight at the Gold Cup for me was performing two 2-person lifts with my daughter Emily. On our first lift we did a 757# Straddle Deadlift, and on our second lift we did a 804# Deadlift. Both of these marks are ALL-TIME RECORDS in IAWA for a male-female team.
This is not intended to be a meet report, but rather “my take” on the 2011 IAWA Gold Cup held last weekend in Burton on Trent, England. First of all, initially I was not planning on attending this meet since I’m going to the IAWA World Championships in Australia next month. But when my good “mate” (that’s american for friend, haha) James Gardner invited me to stay at his place I could not turn him down. And after the fun-filled weekend I had, I’m glad I went! I made a quick trip out of it, only staying for the weekend. I call a trip like this “pulling an Art” – after the the MAN OF STEEL Art Montini and his reputation of going oversees to a big meet and only staying for the meet itself. This weekend was EXTRA SPECIAL for me since I had my oldest daughter Emily traveling with me. This was her first weightlifting meet EVER, and she only agreed to compete because that was the stipulation I had for taking her along!
The person who made this event happen was our IAWA President Steve Gardner (in middle). To Steve's right is Chris Bass, who is the "official scorekeeper" for the IAWA.
Now for a few general words on the Gold Cup. This meet is one of TWO big IAWA competitions held each year (the World Championships is the other). It was started years ago by Howard Prechtel as a meet to celebrate World Record Lifts by World Champions. Initially, the only lifters who were eligible to compete were current World Champions. A rule from the beginning in the Gold Cup is that the lifter must OPEN on his first attempt at a World Record in the lift of his choosing. Also in the beginning each lifter could chose only one lift to perform their World Record in. You could call it the “ELITE OF RECORD DAYS” . Since then the stipulations have been lessened and anyone can compete in the Gold Cup, regardless of whether they are a current World Champion or not. If a lifter can not find a World Record they can break, they can enter the Silver Cup instead, and go for a National Record, or even just a personal best. This way no one is excluded from this prestigious international event. Also, at several Gold Cups of recent, time has allowed the lifters to have a second choice lift which they can perform as well.
I finally got to meet Steve Angell from England (right). Steve is a three time Overall Best Lifter at the IAWA World Championships (1996, 2000, 2001).
I felt the turnout for this meet was very good - 25 lifters took part. Our IAWA President Steve Gardner was the meet promoter, and as he always does, promoted an exceptional meet. I was glad the meet was held at his club in Burton, the Powerhouse Gym. I like to experience the feeling of lifting in other all round clubs. You feel “connected” to their involvement in All-Round Weightlifting. Several outstanding records where set by the lifters in attendance. One of the neat things about a Gold Cup is that you get to see lifters perform the lifts that they are the best at, and in turn get to witness some great lifts. The Gold Cup is not like any ole record day where the lifters go about their business lifting and doing records in a chaotic fashion. One platform is set up and when it is YOUR time to lift you get it all to yourself while everyone else watches. You perform all three (or four) of your attempts back to back, and the stage is all yours. This allows one to watch EVERY LIFTER and gives each lifter a little extra recognition. Like I said earlier, the Gold Cup is the ELITE OF RECORD DAYS. The experience is WAY MORE than just setting a World Record, as it is about being part of something special offered by the IAWA. I highly recommend that every All Round lifter go to the Gold Cup at least once in their life.
James Gardner and his 96.5 KG One Handed Fulton Bar Deadlift. This is the most EVER lifted in this lift!
Now on to the lifts done. I have done a lot of thinking what I would consider the BEST RECORDS of the day were. This was a hard decision for me because I was very impressed with EVERY lifter, but I did come up with my TOP FIVE. My vote for the NUMBER ONE GOLD CUP RECORD was done by James Gardner. James first lift was the newly formed IAWA lift, the Turkish Get Up. In this he did the MOST ever done with a very fine lift of 70 KG. But that’s not the lift that impressed me the most. It was his second choice lift, the One Hand Fulton Bar Deadlift. In this lift he lifted an UNBELIEVEABLE 96.5 KG (212 pounds). This record is now the most EVER lifted in this lift, exceeding Frank Ciavattone’s mark of 210 pounds. I consider Frank the BEST ONE HAND GRIP LIFTER in the history of the USAWA, so this really says something about James’ achievement in this lift. Another lifter and lift that really impressed me, and was my second pick, was Mark Haydock of England. Mark performed a 210 KG Front Squat breaking the previous World Record in this lift held by the current IAWA World Champion Chad Ullom. I officiated Chad when he set his mark, and I remember how deep he took his front squat when he did it. I was glad to see Mark break Chad’s record by taking his front squat just as deep. My “third choice” in best records goes to England’s Steve Sherwood and his Ciavattone Grip Deadlift of 180 KG. That is pushing 400 pounds for a lifter who is 60 years old and only weighs 80 KG! What a grip!! Later that night at the Gold Cup banquet Steve was inducted into the IAWA(UK) Hall of Fame, and it is no wonder why. He lifts poundages that I would not expect him to lift. He second choice lift of a 140 KG Fulton Bar Ciavattone Grip Deadlift was impressive as well. Number 4 on my list goes to John Gardner and his 140 KG (309#) middle fingers straddle deadlift. I would call John the “sleeper” in this group of great lifters because I didn’t expect a lift like that out of him. That is a WORLD CLASS finger lift and on top of that, it appeared to me to be a submaximal effort on his part. He made it look way to easy! The last of my top five goes to the Scottish lifter Andy Tomlin and his 185.5 KG left handed deadlift. Breaking 400 pounds in the one handed deadlift is always very impressive to watch, and currently there are only a small group of IAWA lifters who can do it. To make Andy’s lift even that more impressive, is that he suffered a back injury a week earlier and wasn’t sure he would even be able to compete! I will tell you this, later that night at the banquet when he was feeling really good (after a few pints of instant pain relief) he was really talking big – and issued a 2-man one arm deadlift challenge against Chad and myself at next year’s Gold Cup in Scotland. He recruited Steve Angell to be his partner before even asking him, and of course I couldn’t turn him down even before asking Chad to be my partner. Before long another “team” joined in this challenge as well (Mark Haydock and James Gardner). So it looks like the 2012 Gold Cup is setting up to be a BIG SHOW of international competition in the 2-man one arm deadlift. I did remind Andy that Chad and I have the BEST MARK ever set in this lift (done last year at the 2010 Gold Cup) of 800 pounds, so they better be in form “to bring it”.
Mark Haydock performing his record Front Squat of 210 KG.
I could go “on and on” about last weekends trip but I’m going to stop at this. I especially want to thank Steve Gardner for his efforts in promoting this outstanding meet. It was a meet I will never forget.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Second Apollon
October 10, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
J.C. Tolson - the "second Apollon"
Most of today’s lifters are familiar with Louis Uni, who went by the stage name of Apollon. Uni was a 260 pound, 6 foot 3 inch strong man who lived from 1862 to 1928. He was most famous for his railroad wheels barbell. However, there was a second Apollon named J. C. Tolson, who was born July 16, 1903 in Dewsbury, England. Young Tolson got his inspiration to become a strongman after seeing a strongman at a traveling circus. He was 17 years old at the time. He started training and made very rapid progress, and soon was performing under the name of The Mighty Young Apollon. Tolson was much smaller than his name sake. He stood 5′ 6″ tall, 17.5″ neck, 48.5″ expanded chest, 32″ waist, 14″ forearms, 17″ biceps, 24″ thighs, and 16″ calves.
Although Tolson was a very good all round lifter, he was outstanding at bending iron bars. He entered a bar bending challenge in 1925 at the Empire Music Hall, put on by Alexander Zass, who went by the stage name of Samson. This was his first competition and he took third place. He rapidly improved and followed Zass as he put on challenges in other cities, always taking first place and the cash prizes. By the time Tolson had won over 200 pounds, which was a lot of money in the 1920’s, Zass changed his challenges to lifting a steel girder weighing 500 pounds. Tolson again took first place, and the money, by lifting the girder with his teeth. After this contest Tolson started issuing challenges for the title of Britain’s Champion Strongman. The events consisted of bending iron bars in various ways, teeth lifting, the two hand military press, and the two hand dead lift. Very few people took the challenge. Tolson, billed as The Mighty Young Apollon, continued to perform as a professional strongman. His act consisted of breaking chains with his fingers, lifting a 91.5 pound ring weight over head with his little finger (he later improved this to 108.25 pounds), bending iron bars, and tearing playing cards still in their case into quarters. He would drive a six inch nail into a wood plank and then pull the nail out with his teeth. He could support 20 men on his chest, and would have a tug-of-war with from 20 to 50 men, and at some shows would use two horses. At a body weight of 168 pounds he did a pullover and press with 249 pounds. At 165 pounds he did a one hand dead lift of 500 pounds, and a press behind head with 214.5 pounds. While weighing only 154.5 pounds he did a strict curl of 148 pounds. The heavy weight record at this time was only four pounds more. As with many strong men of his time he also had a mail order muscle building course. His course was mostly isometrics. He would provide his students with various strength steel bars with instruction on how to bend them in order to work the different muscle groups. His course sold into the 1950’s. I could find no date for when or where he passed away.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Resorteras, Rehab, and Records
October 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by John McKean
John McKean in the shooting position with his resoteras. A strong pull is needed, which works both the triceps and delts.
“THWACK!!!” A golf ball left mighty Paul Anderson’s tee after a typical set of ten with 800 pounds on the squat. You see, it is said that ole Paul had a three hole golf course set up on the grounds of his famous youth home, and he’d play the holes in between sets! This proved to be ideal “active rest”, well deserved fresh air, and much needed recuperation for the strongest man of all time.
“THWACK!!!” This is the noise that my nosy next door neighbor may hate worse than the clanging weights resonating from my open garage door. No, I’m not a golfer, but get this similar sound effect while target shooting my “resortera”, a Mexican term for a homemade, powerful, hunting-capable slingshot. Last year I renewed my acquaintance with slingshot target work, and find it a very relaxing, yet exercise oriented way of calming down from heavy, home gym lifts. The outdoor few minutes, alone ( I don’t rest quite as long as Paul Anderson did!) seems to energize me into better lifting efforts! Certainly the equipment is easy to acquire – the “resortera” concept dictates that you build your own slingshot from tree branch “Ys” (or cut from board or metal- a hunter/lifter/builder like Al Myers would probably weld one from thick steel to keep it HEAVY !), basic office rubber bands, and stones,marbles, or hexnuts for “ammo” (easy instructions for building lots of variations can be goggled at rebelslingshotforum ). I can attest to an actual increase of tone in my arms, delts, lats, and pecs from this unique band work (With the powerful hunting set up of seemingly simple office type rubber bands, a slingshot pull can get rather intense. You should see the wild game that my friends Jamie, Nico, Chepo, and Xidoo acquire with their homemade killing machines!) and nutrition habits (pizza!) of son, Rob,keeps me well supplied with cardboard boxes that serve as targets on my outdoor ” range”!
John demonstrating a band back press
Now in terms of bands, always a favorite subject of mine, the slingshot was not my only rubber training tool during this past summer. I’d been having really spirited productive lifting sessions early on, but was out fishing (another favorite outdoor activity- I tease Big Al by telling him that the fish I catch are so big & plentiful that I should apply for a “fish lift” category in the USAWA!) and once found my foot shifting quickly on a hill over loose gravel; well,both the right knee and left lower back went into sudden ache mode,and stayed that way. Even a few days off, and a serious visit to my chiropractor didn’t give much comfort. But, heck, there were meets approaching and records to set, so I just couldn’t take a long layoff!! While limping out to fire my nifty, homemade driftwood resortera one morning, I began to formulate a plan as the fresh air did its usual magic to invigorate me. I’d simply start all lifting sessions with Dr. Len Schwartz’ “Longstrength” concept, via Jumpstretch’s medium strength “mini-monster” bands. I did 50 reps with 2 bands over my shoulders for braced squatting, cable pulldowns while lunging toward my wounded knee for 35-45 reps, back presses while lunging over the other knee, high pulls along with wide squats, lying cable flys with leg pull-ins, and good morning bends + tricep pushes with the band over my neck. All light resistance, high rep combination style movements (which is the Longstrength concept) that really “gave an excuse” for blood to flush into the wounded areas. The fast paced 250+ reps also served as the best lifting warmup I’ve ever done!
My main workout,of course, had to be treated with “kid gloves”. The slingshot breaks kept me from getting really crazy (all you who know me, keep the laughter down and continue reading!!) , with restoring fresh air allowing time for common sense to intervene. So I’d take some of our most stable all-round lifts and do them in as perfect form as I could, adding control and slower tempo by placing a flex band over the bar (as I’ve displayed in past articles). With a single “mini-monster” band, I needed only to do a few singles up to about 60-70% of an anticipated record lift, that I was planning for the Fall meets. Often, especially if the knee or back started hinting that they were uncomfortable, I’d do the lighter build up singles without a band, then place it over the barbell to repeat the final top weight for the day for just that set. Usually a lift was completed in 4 easy sets (singles), and the five lift workouts were performed quickly with minimum agony.
John performs a "Longstrength" upright row and partial squat combo with a band.
As an aside, Dr. Schwartz often warned me that his Longstrength system was potent medicine. Shortly before his death (he was still exercising daily at 84 and could perform 35 consecutive, perfect chinups!), we’d had numerous spirited discussions on the great value of flex bands to supply constant tension during the fitness building, combination exercises.We even concluded that rubber cables fit in perfectly with his “moving isometrics” strength-aerobics concept. Yet I was still totally shocked to discover that my rehab program, seemingly quite mild, had reduced me to the middleweight division!
As I write this, I’m now mostly pain free and all set to try those records at Art’s Birthday meet in a few short days! Recent workouts, still with the same minimal approach, have been going great with emphasis on the prime commandment for Master’s lifting -” Thou shalt not injure thyself during training, ever! ” Now, if only I don’t go outside and catapult a 200 fps rock into my thumb, I’ll be in fine shape!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Are you fit?
October 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
James Gardner "in action" in the Tug of War competiton held the day after the Gold Cup at the Holland Sports Club. The Holland Tug of War Club competes at the World level, and in a few weeks will be competing in Belgium.
A couple of weekends ago at the Gold Cup in England, my daughter Emily was explaining to my English mate James Gardner what a sorority was in the United States. She was telling him about her sorority that she lives in at the University, and how it is an organized group house with 50-100 other girls and how they participate in philanthropy on the campus and in the community. I found the whole conversation quite comical, but when James asked her if ”the girls were fit?” and Emily replied, “yes, we all work out at the fitness center”, I knew her answer was not what was meant by James’ question! He was wanting to know if these girls possessed certain beautiful traits to his liking, while Emily thought he was talking about their level of physical fitness. Later that weekend on the Sunday after the meet, I was privileged to attend a benefit to raise funds for breast cancer hosted by the Holland Tug of War Club, which James is a part of and his dad Steve is the coach. Several Tug of War teammates and pullers from other teams showed up to support the cause. Steve divided all in attendance up evenly and a short tournament was contested. It was when Steve announced to the crowd that the winning team would be taking on the AMERICAN DREAM TEAM (and pointing to Denny, Emily, and myself) that I started to get worried. Sure, I have particapated in Tug of War contests in my college days, but after watching these seasoned Tug of War pullers go “after it” in serious competition I knew I was nothing more than a rank amateur with very little Tug of War skills, and for sure would make a fool of myself! But I don’t turn down a good challenge, so when the time came to perform I gave it all I had. I would say the first 10-20 seconds I felt pretty good about things, but the next couple of minutes were sheer torture. Finally it was over and I thought that was it, but then Steve said it was going to be the “best of three”. Well, let me tell you I was still bent over “huffing and puffing” when it was time to start the next pull!
This is a picture of James perfoming a 70 KG Turkish Get Up with a bar at the 2011 Gold Cup. This is the most ever done in the IAWA. James is one of those very unique athletes who is able to "be fit" to compete in two different sports at the international level.
This story brings me to a discussion Steve and I had later that night in the pub when I was telling him how impressed I was with his Tug of War Club. Steve explained to me the training they do weekly, and the things they do to prepare for a full day of pulling, which may consist of 50 or so pulls in a day. That takes lots of conditioning and stamina. That brings us to the title of today’s story – ARE YOU FIT? After talking with Steve, it is apparent to me that this question is a very vague one, and only applies to whatever sport you are trying to be FIT FOR. Just like James’ definition of “being fit” was different from Emily’s, there are many other different definitions of “being fit”. I feel like I’m fit for a weightlifter, but obviously not for other strength sports, like Tug of War. I plan my training to prepare myself for a full day of weightlifting competition. At least once per week I have a long training session (over 4 hours) so when meet time rolls around I still feel strong at the end of the day. Sometimes I even take a long break during my workout (30-60 minutes) and resume training to simulate a long day with a break at a meet. I have been around alot of lifters and throwers who don’t realize this is an important training effect and neglect it, only to be “totally shot” by the end of the day and end up deadlifting a lot less than they could in a powerlifting meet since the deadlift is last, or missing that last height in the WOB at the end of the day that they should get because they are worn out by that point. It is all about being “FIT” for the sport you do, and that is what your training should be preparing you for. I have had young highschool boys come the Dino Gym to workout, and after putting them through a squat workout that is less than I do weekly, it leaves them sore for days, sometimes unable to walk. And these are kids who play football, are in good shape, can run windsprints all day long, but not “FIT” for lifting weights even though they are “FIT” for football.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to be FIT for everything. Pick what’s important to you and focus your training on that. And when it comes time to compete, it will pay off and you can call yourself FIT.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Pure Rebellion
October 13, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Be rebellious and order this poster from Atomic Athletic for your gym!
Picking up the phone I heard silence, followed by the distinctive sound of an old man clearing his throat. I still answer the phone and talk to customers. I used to love it, but in today’s world of instant gratification I rarely hear from anyone with a clue about how to hold a conversation. This guy was different. I knew I could help him out.
Still lifting sixty or more years after he first picked up a barbell, he told me of a time when that act alone was pure rebellion. It was an age before Arnold. No one had a gym membership, because you were lucky if there was even a YMCA in your town, regardless of whether or not there was a set of weights in the basement. Almost all the gyms were garage gyms, because commercial ones didn’t really exist. Tough guys in motorcycle jackets lifted weights and wore white undershirts, to show off their rebellion. Today, everybody wears T-shirts, with or without a clever picture or slogan. Athletes, you defied your coach if you lifted weights, because weightlifting made you “muscle bound”.
I never considered my weightlifting to be an act of rebellion, but this old guy remembered that first day he picked up a barbell. That thing could have been red hot out of the foundry, burning the experience into his brain because it screamed rebellion. His older brother learned to lift weights in the navy, the one who had come home with the tattoo of a hot red head pin-up girl, not his brother the army officer.
I guess things have come full circle. When you lift in your garage, instead of a commercial gym, you are rebelling. If you lift free weights, instead of running on treadmills and lifting with machines, you are rebelling. Heck, just lifting heavy low reps is considered an act of rebellion today. “Cut abs” seem to be more important than a strong back.
That old guy was building a gym for his grandson. He sent me a couple photos and told me to match his gym as closely as possible. You guessed it. He hadn’t updated anything since the 1950s: lots of standard sized iron, bars, kettlebell handles, speed bag & heavy bag, thick handles, iron boots. You get the idea. Now, you ask, why wasn’t the kid doing this project himself? I asked the same question. The quick answer was that he had, but because of a divorce, Mom did not approve. It was up to Grandpa to help instill a little rebellion in the kid. PS. The old guy had also included a picture of the red head and he was right about it, she did have the right amount of curves. I made sure to point out that Red Head Retro Pin-Up poster we have. It’s now framed in the kid’s bedroom.
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Categories: USAWA Daily News
PLANETS ALIGN
October 14, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
Dave (left) and Thom (right) enjoy an interesting conversation over a good meal following the 2011 Ledaig Record Day last summer. Dave put his new scales to use at this meet conducting weigh-ins at 12:00 AM the day of the meet (as required by the USAWA rules that weigh-ins must be on the same day). It was the only time I have EVER weighed in at midnight the day of the meet. His new scales were very accurate, and by having this early weigh-in we all could all enjoy breakfast! (photo and caption by Al Myers).
AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME LAST YEAR, I, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAME THE EXECUTER TO MY BROTHER’S ESTATE. HE DIED VERY SUDDENLY WHICH THREW ME INTO A SOMEWHAT PRECARIOUS JACKPOT. HOWEVER, HIS DEMISE IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF THIS STORY. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOW, SOMETIMES, THE PLANETS ALL ALIGN AND THE NET RESULT IS YOU CAN MAKE SOMETHING GOOD COME FROM A SAD SITUATION.
AMONG MY BROTHER’S EFFECTS WERE HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES WHICH HE HAD, OBVIOUSLY, ACCUMULATED OVER THE YEARS. MY DILEMMA WAS HOW TO BEST DISPERSE THESE ARTIFACTS!! WE HAD BEEN SORTING AND CLEANING FOR SOME TIME. HOWEVER IT GETS TO A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THE ARTICLES AT HAND OR YOU FIND YOURSELF MOVING ITEMS FROM ONE ROOM TO THE OTHER WITHOUT GETTING ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED. SO, WHEN MY BELOVED WIFE OF 36 YEARS, GUNNER, TOLD ME THERE WAS TO BE AN AUCTION FOR THE CHURCH (SHE HAS ATTENDED TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH SINCE WE WERE MARRIED AND TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL THERE FOR 25YEARS), WE BOTH DECIDED THAT DONATING A GOOD PORTION OF HIS ITEMS WOULD BE A GOOD THING ON SO MANY FRONTS!
HOWEVER, AFTER TWO MONTHS OF BEING “REMINDED” THAT THE AUCTION WAS COMING UP, IT WAS TO THE POINT THAT I WAS GROWING VERY WEARY OF HEARING ABOUT THE CHURCH’S AUCTION. FINALLY, THE DAY CAME TO GATHER THE GOODS AND GET THEM TO THE AUCTION SITE. WITH THE HELP OF TWO TRUSTED FRIENDS AND GUNNER, WE TOOK THREE PICKUP TRUCKS FULL OF THINGS TO BE DONATED. WE ARRIVED AT THE BARN WHERE THEY WERE HOLDING THE AUCTION AND QUICKLY UNLOADED OUR GOODS INTO THE CAVERNOUS BUILDING THAT WAS GROWING SMALLER BY THE MINUTE! WHILE I WAS STANDING THERE LOOKING AT THE THINGS OTHER FOLKS BROUGHT, THE PASTOR STROLLS UP TO ME AND SAYS, “FEEL FREE TO COME ON SATURDAY AND TAKE SOME OF THIS STUFF OFF OUR HANDS!!” I CHUCKLED AND MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH “STUFF” TO LAST THE REST OF MY LIFE, WHEN, ALL AT ONCE, I GLANCE OVER AND SEE THREE MEDICAL QUALITY SCALES ON THE OPPOSITE WALL!!! I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR ONE OF THOSE FOR OVER A YEAR AND HERE STOOD THREE. HOLY HELL, BATMAN!!!!
I PRACTICALLY RAN TO THE SCALES AND GREETED THEM AS LONG LOST, TREASURED FRIENDS.
WELL, I BOUGHT ONE OF THEM ON THE SPOT!! HOWEVER, THAT IS JUST THE START OF THE STORY! AS I WAS WALKING OVER TO PAY FOR THE RELEASE OF MY NEWLY ACQUIRED PAL, I HAPPENED TO LOOK DOWN AT MY FEET AND, TO MY SHOCK, AMAZEMENT AND UTTER DELIGHT, SPIED A YORK BARBELL SET!!! I LITERALLY POUNCED ON THOSE SHINING (YES, SHINING!) WEIGHTS, IN FEAR THAT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD SPOT THEM AND GET TO THEM BEFORE I COULD! GET TO THEM THEY MIGHT!! HOWEVER, NOT UNTIL THERE WAS ONE HELL OF A FIGHT!! NOW, FORGET THE FACT THAT THE ONLY OTHER FOLKS THERE WERE EITHER WITH ME OR THE HANDFUL OF CHURCH PEOPLE SETTING THINGS UP! NO, BY GOD, THIS CATCH WAS MINE!! THIS PRISTINE YORK SET WAS OF THE ONE INCH, “EXERCISE” WEIGHT VARIETY, WITH THE 5 FOOT BAR, ADJUSTABLE DUMBELLS, ADJUSTABLE KETTLEBELL HANDLES AND THE WEIGHT BOOTS!!! I AM GUESSING IT IS OF THE 60s VINTAGE. I WAS ALSO DUMBFOUNDED TO FIND THAT THERE SET THE ORIGINAL CANVAS AND LEATHER STRAPS FOR THE BOOTS! I JUST KEPT REPEATING, “I CAN‟T BELIEVE THIS!! I CAN‟T BELIEVE THIS!!”
I RAN OVER TO MY BUDDIES (WHO ARE LIFTERS AND “GAMERS” AS WELL) AND SAID, “DUDES!!! COME HERE! COME HERE!!” I WAS SO EXCITED; I HAD GOOSE BUMPS ON MY ARMS!! MY ONE FRIEND SAID, “MAN, YOU NEED TO RELAX! IT’S JUST A WEIGHT SET. ” OHHHH, THE HUMANITY!! WHAT A HERETICAL THING TO COME FROM THE MOUTH OF ONE OF THE BRETHREN!!!” AS WE STOOD THERE ADMIRING MY BOUNTY, I COULD ALMOST HEAR THAT WEIGHT SET SAY, “WELL, IF IT AIN’T OLE’ DAVE, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, COME TO TAKE US HOME AT LAST!”
TAKE YOU HOME, INDEED!! JUST AS HARD AND FAST AS I POSSIBLY CAN!! I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO SEE WHAT TREASURES SHOW THEMSELVES THE NEXT TIME THE PLANETS ALIGN!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Art’s Birthday Bash
October 17, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by John McKean
Andraes and John McKean completing a 2 Man Jefferson Lift. Scott and Kathy Schmidt are in the background cheering on what may be the first grandpa/grandson straddle lift on record.
This past Friday my phone rang and there was Art Montini’s name on the screen. Either the ole man finally figured how to dial out with his telephone, or something was “up” concerning his birthday meet at the Ambridge VFW on Sunday! Answering, I heard Art loudly, excitement in his voice, ask “Guess who I just heard from?!”
“Well,I hope it’s not from one of your replacement specialists, demanding a recall of totally abused new body parts!” I commented.
“Naw”, barked Art, “you know if any of those medical types gives me hassles about lifting, then I just find a new doctor!! But DALE FRIESZ is driving up from Virginia to lift!!”
Sure enough, come Sunday morning,after a much longer hospital stay than ever before (and there’s been a bunch in his recent history), in popped an ever smiling Dale, thinner (hates hospital food!) and sporting a 1″ diameter rod where his lower leg used to be. Dale cracked up when I informed him that it was about time someone finally showed that had skinnier calfs than me!! Later,Dale broke records that, in his words, “normal” guys had set (I told Dale that he was never exactly “normal”, but we quickly agreed that no one in the gym that morning was!!)
Then a long lost Jim Malloy marched in, growling all the way (with his usual, unprintable choice of colorful language!) how he was only lifting on his hobbled old body because Scott Schmidt dragged him over from Cleveland! Scott brought along beautiful wife Kathy to lift and help haul ole Jim,kicking & sputtering, into the VFW gym.
Denny Habecker traveled from across the state with a restored old time superstar -the always personable Barry Bryan !Barry has been troubled with knee and back problems stemming back to the 90s, but now feels ready to embark on a master lifter’s all-round career.
To make matters even more interesting, a brand new lifter, former “strongman” competitor Andy Root from nearby New Castle (PA), arrived with a whole team, and announced he would be attempting the Inman Mile! We told Andy to study Art,me, and the rest of this lineup of ” walking wrecks” present in the gym, because even on a classic, perfect weather Autumn morning if he tried that Mile he’d shortly appear ,at 31, just like the rest of us when we scraped him off the local high school track!!(he says he’ll save the Inman Mile for the “team challenge” in March! I told him Big Al not only will judge it, but probably PAY to see the event!!) So , Andy wisely reconsidered and started his all-round career more sensibly -his first lift was the Shoulder Drop !
Youngest man in the contest, 6 year old Andraes McKean, starts out the festivities of our oldest US lifter's Annual Birthday Bash! But the meet had everything: youngsters,open lifters,masters, females, teams, newbies, and interested onlookers! It was a personal thrill to have our youngest lifter, my grandson,6 year old Andraes, to set a few records and become part (some of the wags present claimed he did ALL the lifting!) of a grandson/grandfather team effort ( a first??)on deadlifts, hacks, and straddles!
Even ole Art did some dynamic overhead snatching and jerking, along with other records, that startled everyone with his speed & agility; maybe the docs did remove some old ligaments and tendons (muscles if he ever had any!), still under the 100 year warranty plan, and provided better bionics for this meet!!
MEET RESULTS:
Art’s Birthday Bash October 16th, 2011 Ambridge VFW Club Ambridge, PA
Meet Director: Art Montini
Lifts: Record Day
Officials (3 official system used on all lifts): Art Montini, Denny Habecker, Dennis Mitchell, John McKean, Dale Friesz, Scott Schmidt, Barry Bryan
Andraes McKean – 6 years old, 96.5# BW 45 KG Class, Male Junior 6-7 Age Group
Deadlift – Trap Bar (Trap Bar Deadlift): 29.55 KG, 65 lbs. Deadlift – Fulton Bar (Two Hands Deadlift – 2 Inch Bar): 15.45 KG, 34 lbs. Jefferson Lift – Fulton Bar (Straddle Deadlift – 2 Inch Bar): 15.45 KG, 34 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2″, 2 Bars (Two Vertical Bars – 2 inch rods): 21.82 KG, 48 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 10.91 KG, 24 lbs.
Angela Sweet – 31 years old, 129# BW 60 KG Class, Female Open Age Group
Bench Press – Feet on Floor (not USAWA lift): 61.36 KG 135 lbs. Bench Press – Hands Together (Hands Together Bench Press): 50 KG, 110 lbs. Bench Press – Reverse Grip (Reverse Grip Bench Press): 50 KG, 110 lbs. Bench Press – Alternate Grip (Alternate Grip Bench Press): 50 KG, 110 lbs.
Jason Houk – 9 years old, 132# BW 60 KG Class, Male Junior 8-9 Age Group
Bench Press – Feet on Floor (not USAWA lift): 38.64 KG, 85 lbs. Bench Press – Reverse Grip (Reverse Grip Bench Press): 36.36 KG, 80 lbs. Curl – Strict (Strict Curl): 22.73 KG, 50 lbs. Deadlift (not USAWA lift): 84.09 KG, 185 lbs.
Dale Friesz – 71 years old, 143.25# BW 70 KG Class, Mens Master 70-74 Age Group
Deadlift – Fingers, Little (Little Fingers Deadlift): 33.18 KG, 73 lbs. Deadlift – Fingers, Index (Index Fingers Deadlift): 33.64 KG, 74 lbs. Deadlift – Fingers, Ring (Ring Fingers Deadlift): 55.23 KG, 122 lbs. Finger Lift – Right Middle Finger: 44.55 KG, 98 lbs.
Dennis Mitchell – 79 years old, 152# BW 70 KG Class, Mens Master 75-79 Age Group
Deadlift – No Thumbs (Two Hands Thumbless Deadlift): 85 KG, 187 lbs. French Press (French Press): 18.18 KG, 40 lbs. Deadlift – Stiff Legged (Stiff Leg Deadlift): 86.36 KG, 190 lbs.
Kathy Schmidt – 54 years old, 159# BW 75 KG Class, Womens Master 50-54 Age Group
Deadlift – Dumbbell, Right Arm (Right Hand Dumbbell Deadlift): 37.5 KG, 82 lbs. Deadlift – Dumbbell, Left Arm (Left Hand Dumbbell Deadlift): 37.5 KG, 82 lbs. Deadlift – 2 Dumbbells (Two Hands Dumbbells Deadlift): 82.5 KG, 182 lbs. Deadlift – Trap Bar (Trap Bar Deadlift): 82.5 KG, 182 lbs.
John McKean – 65 years old, 164.75# BW 75 KG Class, Mens Master 65-69 Age Group
Deadlift – No Thumbs (Two Hands Thumbless Deadlift): 115.45 KG, 254 lbs. Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip (Ciavattone Deadlift): 131.36 KG, 289 lbs. Bench Press – Alternate Grip (Alternate Grip Bench Press): 61.36 KG, 135 lbs. Bench Press – Reverse Grip (Reverse Grip Bench Press): 56.82 KG, 125 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 63.18 Kg, 139 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Left Hand (VB Lift- 2″ Rod): 56.36 KG, 124 lbs. Deadlift – Fulton Bar (Two Hands Deadlift – 2″ Bar): 90.91 KG, 200 lbs. Jefferson Lift – Fulton Bar (Straddle Deadlift – 2″ Bar): 90.91 KG, 200 lbs. Deadlift – 2 Bars (Two Barbell Deadlift): 140.45 KG, 310 lbs.
Andy Root – 31 years old, 176# BW 80 KG Class, Mens Open Age Group
Lano Lift (not IAWA lift): 45.45 KG, 100 lbs. Turkish Get Up (Turkish Get Up): 29.55 KG, 65 lbs. Shoulder Drop (Shoulder Drop): 45.45 KG, 100 lbs.
Art Montini – 84 years old, 190# BW 90 KG Class, Mens Masters 80-84 Age Group
Snatch – Fulton Bar (Two Hands Snatch – 2″ Bar): 25 KG, 55 lbs. Clean and Press – Fulton Bar (2 Hands Clean and Press – 2″ Bar): 31.82 KG, 70 lbs. Clean and Jerk – Fulton Bar (2 Hands Clean and Jerk – 2″ Bar): 34.09 KG, 75 lbs. Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip (2 Hand Fulton Deadlift): 72.73 KG, 160 lbs. Deadlift – Fulton Bar (2 Hands Deadlift – 2″ Bar): 90.91 KG, 200 lbs.
Denny Habecker – 69 years old, 191# BW 90 KG Class, Mens Masters 65-69 Age Group
Push Press – From Rack (Push Press from Racks): 70.45 KG, 155 lbs. Curl – Dumbbell, Cheat, Left Arm (Left Hand Dumbbell Cheat Curl): 20.45 KG, 45 lbs. Clean & Jerk – Dumbbell, Left Arm (Left Hand DB Clean & Jerk): 25 KG, 55 lbs. Clean & Jerk, – Dumbbell, Right Arm (Right Hand DB Clean & Jerk): 34.09 KG, 75 lbs. Snatch – Dumbbell, Left Arm (Left Hand DB Snatch): 25 KG, 55 lbs.
Barry Bryan – 53 years old, 195# BW 90 KG Class, Mens Masters 50-54 Age Group
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Left Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 70 KG, 154 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 2″ (Two VBs – 2″ Rod): 117.27 KG, 258 lbs. Bench Press – Reverse Grip (Reverse Grip Bench Press): 93.18 KG, 205 lbs. Guy Marcantino, Jr. – 35 years old, 230# BW 105 KG Class, Mens Open Age Group
Bench Press – Feet on Floor (not USAWA Lift): 186.36 KG, 410 lbs. Bench Press – Reverse Grip (Reverse Grip Bench Press): 143.18 KG, 315 lbs. Bench Press – Hands Together (Hands Together Bench Press): 136.36 KG, 300 lbs.
Scott Schmidt – 58 years old, 240# BW 110 KG Class, Mens Master 55-59 Age Group
Press – From Rack, Behind Neck (Press Behind Neck from Rack): 75 KG, 165 lbs. Seated Press – From Rack, Behind Neck (Seated Press BN from Rack): 70 KG, 154 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Left Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 80 KG, 176 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 80 KG, 176 lbs.
Jim Malloy – 70 years old, 241.5# BW 110 KG Class, Mens Masters 70-74 Age Group
Bench – Feet in Air (Bench Press – Feet in Air): 86.36 KG, 190 lbs. Curl – Strict (Strict Curl): 45.45 KG, 100 lbs. Curl – Reverse Grip (Reverse Curl): 34.09 KG, 75 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Right Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 58.64 KG, 129 lbs. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 1 Bar, 2″, Left Hand (VB Lift – 2″ Rod): 42.73 Kg, 94 lbs.
Andreas McKean and John McKean 75 KG Class, Mens Open Age Group
Deadlift – 2 Man (Two Person Team Deadlift): 70 KG, 154 lbs. Jefferson Lift – 2 Man (Two Person Straddle Deadlift): 70 KG, 154 lbs. Hack Lift – 2 Man (Two Person Hacklift): 70 KG, 154 lbs.
Angela Sweet and Andy Root 80 KG Class, Male/Female Open Age Group
Deadlift – 2 Person (Two Person Team Deadlift): 295.45 KG, 650 lbs.
Jason Houk and Guy Marcantino 105 KG Class, Mens Open Age Group
Deadlift – 2 Man (Two Person Team Deadlift): 184.09 KG, 405 lbs. Andy Root and Guy Marcantino 105 KG Class, Mens Open Age Group
Hack Lift – 2 Man (Two Person Hacklift): 370.45 KG, 816 lbs.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Strongman Championships
October 18, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Group picture from the FIRST EVER USAWA Old Time Strongman Championships.
The “new” Old Time Strongman format took another step forward with a Championship hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club on October 16th, 2011. Ten lifters showed for this inaugural event which I plan on making an annual meet on the same weekend as the Scottish Highland Games I host. My hope is that each will help promote the other. This year I had three throwers stick around and lift the second day.
We started in the JWC Training Hall with the Anderson Squat. This lift was done from a starting position 2/3 of the lifters height or less. The challenge was starting a squat from the bottom position. I have a very large dry erase board which served as our scoreboard making it easy for lifters to see where their competition was at. That paid off for John O’Brien after Al Myers hit what most of us thought would be the biggest squat of the meet with 760lbs. But John had the last lift and called for 765 and made it with power to spare. Honestly, I think both men could have went over 800lbs had they gauged their attempts better, but being a brand new lift a lack of experience showed for everyone. I cannot recall a single miss in this lift, which shows everyone had more in the tank!
Meet director Thom Van Vleck put up a BIG Anderson Squat with a fine lift of 620 pounds.
The second event was the Anderson Press. The bar had to be set no higher than your height. Eric Todd and Chris Anderson both topped out over 300lbs with Eric hitting a meet best of 350lbs. It is interesting to note that you would see lifters make a lift easily, then make a slight increase, like 20lbs, only to find the bar seemed to be superglued to the rack!
Eric Todd put up the TOP Anderson Press with a great lift of 350 pounds.
The third event was the Dumbbell Shoulder. In this event you could lift the dumbbell to the shoulder in any way you wanted. This included using both hands, hooking it on the belt along the way, and rolling it up your chest! It was fun to watch guys getting creative. At one point, as Chris Anderson muscled up 300lbs for the top lift in this event, Al Myers said, “It looks like you were wrestling a bear”! Joe Costello ran out of attempts and before the dumbbell was unloaded he walked over and shouldered the 300lbs! Joe was heard to say, “Next time…..”. I’m sure this event will be in the future of Old Time Strongman and Joe will get that lift officially…and more!
Chris Anderson had the BEST Dumbbell to Shoulder with a tremendous lift of 300 pounds.
The last event of the day was the only lift that had been contested before. This event was the Dinnie Lift. Two vertical bars set at the same height and loaded in offsetting weights the same percentage as the real Dinnie Stones. In other words, one had to be loaded no more than 70% of the weight of the other. We had a four way tie for the top lift in this event with Al Myers, Joe Costello, Chris Anderson, and Eric Todd all pulling 705lbs. An interesting problem led to this….that’s all we could fit on the bar with the weights present in the gym! The JWC has a lot of weights, but many of them are old school “deep dish” York and Jackson plates. These did not allow the bars loaded over the 705lb mark. We were even loading smaller plates in the space between the deep dish plates! This may have had an effect on the outcome as Eric Todd had one attempt left but no way to load the bar any higher. Here is why.
After the age and weight formulas were applied, Al Myers was the victor for overall best lifter honors. However, Eric Todd was a close second. What if Eric would have had his last attempt? I feel badly about that, but then again, Al might have hung with him as it was apparent both had more left. Interestingly, Joe Costello edged out John O’Brien in a close race for 3rd place. John lifted more weight, but Joe was lighter by nearly 40lbs and the difference paid of for him. Fifth went to Chris Anderson as he avenged his loss to me at the NAHA nationals. Chris is only 23 years old and he is sure to only improve. I was 6th followed by Rudy Bletscher, Dean Ross, Mike Murdock, and Lance Foster.
Rudy, Dean, and Mike have competed many times and this event was like the rest. These guys push each other hard and yet the the obviously have nothing but respect for one another. Rudy came out on top in what might have been a late birthday present since he turned 76 the day before. They are very evenly matched and that makes for some good competition.
I thought the meet went well other than the loading situation on the Dinnie Lift. I will have to get some thinner plates if we contest that event again because I’m going to host the event next year! The Awards were my “trademark” anvils and the meet shirts were the latest version of the JWC gym shirt. I really appreciated how the lifters helped clean up and put the weights away after the meet. You could not ask for a greater group of guys. Friendships forged in iron! MEET RESULTS
USAWA Old Time Strongman Championships October 16th, 2011 JWC Training Hall Kirksville, Missouri
Meet Director: Thom Van Vleck
Officials (1 official system used): Al Myers, Thom Van Vleck, Mike Murdock, Eric Todd
Loader: Mitch Ridout
Lifts: Anderson Squat, Anderson Press, Dumbbell Shoulder, Dinnie Lift
Lifters:
Al Myers – Age 45, BWT 253#, 115 KG Class & Masters 45-49 Age Group Rudy Bletscher – Age 76, BWT 213#, 100 KG Class & Masters 75-79 Age Group Joe Costello – Age 36, BWT 253#, 115 KG Class & 20-39 Age Group Dean Ross – Age 68, BWT 283#, 125+ KG Class & Masters 65-69 Age Group Mike Murdock – Age 71, BWT 234#, 110 KG Class & Masters 70-74 Age Group Lance Foster – Age 45, BWT 318#, 125+ KG Class & Masters 45-49 Age Group Chris Anderson – Age 23, BWT 287#, 125+ KG Class & 20-39 Age Group Eric Todd – Age 36, BWT 250#, 115 KG Class & 20-39 Age Group Thom Van Vleck – Age 47, BWT 299#, 125+ KG Class & Masters 45-49 Age Group John O’Brien – Age 42, BWT 291#, 125+ KG Class & Masters 40-44 Age Group
Lifter Squat Press DB Dinnie Total Lynch Points
Myers 760 270 270 705 2005 1581.1 1676.0
Todd 710 350 230 705 1995 1583.0 1583.0
Costello 710 275 230 705 1920 1514.1 1514.1
O’Brien 765 270 270 635 1940 1428.8 1471.7
Anderson 620 310 300 705 1935 1434.4 1434.4 Van 620 230 230 440 1520 1104.9 1193.3 Vleck
Ross 460 180 150 440 1230 917.9 1184.2
Bletscher 280 130 120 410 940 811.3 1111.5
Murdock 280 140 120 410 950 779.7 1029.2
Foster 400 140 200 440 1180 833.4 883.4
NOTES: All results listed in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Lynch is points adjusted for bodyweight. Points are overall points adjusted for bodyweight and age.
BEST LIFTER AWARDS
Best Lifter Overall - Al Myers Best Lifter 20-39 Age Group – Eric Todd Best Lifter 40-44 Age Group – John O’Brien Best Lifter 45-49 Age Group – Al Myers Best Lifter 65-69 Age Group – Dean Ross Best Lifter 70-74 Age Group – Mike Murdock Best Lifter 75-79 Age Group – Rudy Bletscher
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Delaware Open
October 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Les Cramer, of Team Cramer, performing a 290 pound Zercher Lift in the 2011 Delaware Valley Open Post Meet.
I just received the results from John Wilmot for the “third quarter installment” of the USAWA Postal Series. This meet is named the Delaware Valley Open Postal Meet – in reference to the John’s home state. The turnout might be considered “slightly down” from previous postal meets, but I understand how the entry deadline seems to “creep up” on you and before you know it, the deadline has passed. It about happened to me on this one. I want to remind everyone that each of these postal meets you compete in will add points to your total for the year in calculating the years USAWA postal champion. The next one up is the National Postal Meet which counts DOUBLE, so make sure not to miss that one! John has already sent me the sanctions for all the Postal Series Competitions NEXT YEAR, so I would say our postal competitions are in “good hands” with John being the director. We really owe him a “pat on the back” for all that he has done for the USAWA. I also want to remind everyone that these competitions are FREE OF CHARGE to compete in, and all competitors receive certificates for competing in them.
One thing that really impressed me with this Postal Meet is the “new blood” that competed. I noticed several new lifters in the list. LaVerne Myers is not a newcomer to the USAWA as he has been competing for a few years, but this is his first entry in a postal meet. I also want to point out the new participation from TEAM CRAMER of Springfield, Illinois, with Les Cramer and Marcus Synder competing. I am really glad to see that. Les is an ole’ crafty veteran of weightlifting, and has been involved through the years with many lifting organizations and different types of lifting, including powerlifting and Olympic Lifting. In a letter he sent to John which John passed on to me, he stated this is the 24th lifting organization he has competed in since 1964, which includes 366 meets, 40 squat World Records, and 7 Powerlifting World Titles. He is the current Masters National and American Masters Olympic Lifting Champion. He has also won the Pan-Am Games. He has recently faced some physical difficulties, having been diagnosed with cancer. These are his words, “I have recently returned to competition after two bouts with cancer. The good news is after my birthday on November 4th I will move up an age group and down a weight class. I do well with anything that has to do with the Snatch/Clean and Jerk, or the Squat or Bench. Not much of a puller.”. I want to point out that Les did a 290 pound Zercher Lift in this postal meet. That is quite an amazing Zercher Lift! Welcome to the fun of the USAWA Les!!!
MEET RESULTS
2011 Delaware Valley Open Postal Meet September 30th, 2011
Meet Director: John Wilmot
Lifts: Push Press – From Rack, Swing – Dumbbell, One Arm, Zercher Lift
Lifters using a Certified USAWA Official (1 official system used for all lifters):
Al Myers – Official LaVerne Myers LaVerne Myers – Official Al Myers Denny Habecker – Official Judy Habecker
Lifters using a non-certified judge:
John Wilmot – Judge Kay Wilmot Orie Barnett – Judge Sam Rogers Les Cramer – Judge Monica Cook
Lifter Age BWT PPress Swing Zercher Total Points Al Myers 45 257 300 140-R 420 860 713.3
Les 69 188 170 65-L 290 525 631.6 Cramer
Orie 50 231 216 100-R 332 648 594.1 Barnett
Denny 68 190 154 70-R 198 422 501.7 Habecker
John 64 214 120 50-R 205 375 403.5 Wilmot
LaVerne 67 248 110 55-R 120 285 290.6 Myers
NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted points for bodyweight and age.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
There’s a Cold Wind Coming
October 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
By Roger LaPointe
York Barbell Apparel
I am really excited about the insulation we are installing at the Atomic Athletic Warehouse Gym. You see, the Warehouse Gym is in our UNHEATED Warehouse. This will cut down on the breeze. Once that place gets cold, it will just stay that way. We have to work with it.
Hats are an absolute necessity at the warehouse. I fell in love with the York Barbell Club Knit Hats last year. They are not too bulky and they keep the heat from blowing right out the top of my shaved head.
They are black with white letters. That’s it. They look great with any other winter clothes.
Once you get warm-up, nice and hot, they will get sweaty just like anything else. I think they do a great job going through the laundry. Maybe you have your favorite, but this is mine.
We have about half a dozen in stock right now. Get yours now, because there is a cold wind blowing and it is coming for you.
WEBMASTER’S COMMENT: TO ORDER THIS HAT OR ANY OF THE OTHER FANTASTIC PRODUCTS OF ATOMIC ATHLETIC, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
15 Year Journey
October 22, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Thom Van Vleck hitting 620lbs on the "Anderson Squat" at the Old Time Strong Man Championships at the JWC Training Hall
I have accumulated a lot of equipment in my gym over the years. Most everything has a story behind it and since I’m a “story teller” here is the “story” behind the bar used at the OTSM Championships on October 16, 2011. It is an oversized bar that weighs in at 50lbs. It was custom made for World Champion Powerlifter John Ware, who was at one time my training partner. John’s greatest feat, in my opinion, was beating Bill Kazmaier’s “unbeatable” World Record Total. John did a 985lb squat the day he beat that record. With the oversized bar he hit 1000lbs in a contest that allowed him to use the bar. It is very stiff and longer than a regulation bar, allowing John to not be bound up when under it. I know some might consider him using a “special” bar to get an official 1000lb squat questionable, just like I know many would question his chemical methods and I won’t make apologies for either one here. Just know he was my friend, he never offered anything to me, helped me immensely in my training, donated to the JWC his time and much equipment, and paid the ultimate price for being a champion on those terms when he passed away several years ago.
So, that being said, I knew he left a lot of equipment to Truman State University where he was the head football coach for many years. This bar was a part of that inheritance so to speak. It was kept where the football players lifted and used for many years. Back when I trained with John we would have these big Friday Squat workouts. Several of the linemen would be involved and heavy weights would be lifted. It was around this time, 15 years ago, I hit a 600lb squat with that bar. That’s the most I have ever squatted to parallel. That would have never happened without the training atmosphere present during those years. I went from a 365lb squat to 600 during that time. When John left, the bar kind of disappeared. I had no idea whatever happened to it until this summer. It turned up, rusted and neglected, and basically thrown away and replaced by slick, new chrome bars that I’m sure appealed to the younger lifters at the college who had no idea what a jewel this bar is. Their loss was my gain and I refurbished this bar and nursed it back to health! As I cleaned the rust off, I could recall countless workouts and countless lifters, World Champion powerlifters, several NFL bound players, and even a future Professional “rassler”, Glenn Jacobs AKA “Kane” of WWE fame. So, when it came time to do the Anderson Squat at the OTSM I reached over to grab a bar from my “Olympic Bar gun rack” where I store the 15 or so bars I own and my eyes fell on John’s old bar. I had not thought about using it, I had another very good, stiff squat bar…..but it just seemed fitting. I was very please when I hit the 620lb squat some 15 years after hitting the 600 on the same exact bar. I also know that John would be very pleased that bar was used in that type of meet. That bar has undoubtedly seen a lot of lifting, and as long as I have it, it will continue to see a lot of lifting! The story has not ended.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Old Time Strongman
October 24, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
John O'Brien, of the JWC, takes a 270 pound dumbbell to his shoulder at the First Ever USAWA Old Time Strongman Championships. This new Old Time Strongman Event mimics loading events in Strongman, but instead of loading something to a platform, the lifter has to take the dumbbell from the floor to the shoulder. Only at the JWC would the dumbbell be loaded with Old Jackson plates, which is very fitting!!!
It really gave me a good feeling that the FIRST EVER USAWA Old Time Strongman (OTSM) Championships was such a great success. Thom did an EXCELLENT JOB of hosting this event at his gym, the JWC Training Hall. Even though the USAWA only hosted two of these OTSM meets this year, I see this division of the USAWA as one that will grow over time. Actually, it is probably a good thing that we are growing at a slow pace with this, as it allows us to get “our ducks in a row”. This allows time to develop the proper protocols in administrating these competitions, as well as time to develop a good selection of OTSM events that will be contested. I’m hoping next year to have at least four of these Old Time Strongman Competitions within the sanction of the USAWA. Thom has already agreed to host next’s years Championship so we know we will have that as the “finale”. Eric Todd has showed interest in hosting one in his gym this upcoming spring, and the Dino Gym has one planned for next July.
I want to say a few general words about these changes that are happening in the USAWA. Most USAWA lifters have been very supportive of these changes, but I have received a few comments from people, that as I would say, are “reserved” in their feelings on this. When changes happen in any aspect in life, it is sometimes unfortable and takes adjustment on an individuals part. It is easy to just keep doing things as they are always done, but sometimes changes are needed to “spark things”. This is how I feel about the USAWA branching into Strongman. We have been struggling for years as an organization in keeping adequate membership to stimulate enough revenue (in membership dues) to keep functioning. Old Time Strongman will stimulate membership from lifters who may be only interested in these competitions, but a FEW will also compete in the traditional All Round Meets as well since they are already members of the USAWA. It is a sure thing that it will increase USAWA membership. Strongman is no different than other “niche” competitive areas within the USAWA that already exist. I talking specially about the Heavy Lifts and the Grip Meets that the USAWA has sanctioned.
I want to explain a few goals and formative ideas I have about this Old Time Strongman. First of all, in no way do I want to imitate Strongman Competitions that already exist. If a lifter wants to compete in those, there are plenty of opportunities for this. We have sanctioned several of those Strongman Competitions in the Dino Gym by NAS through the years. Instead, I want to share some of my “founding principles” of the USAWA Old Time Strongman so everyone will know where I’m coming from.
1. General Rules of the USAWA will apply. This includes using lifts that have established WRITTEN RULES in the Rulebook. Rules of weightlifting will apply with the 3 attempts allowed per lift, and a lifter will be able to CHOOSE what weight they want to attempt. No set weight implements will be allowed. No events for time will be allowed. Medley type events will not be done. This allows anyone, regardless of ability, to be able to compete. Also, the USAWA scoring system already in place for our meets will be used. Bodyweight and age correction will be applied to total pounds lifted. Now if a meet director wants to have awards for BEST LIFTER for age groups or age divisions that is not a problem, as that is already allowed for any other USAWA meet.
2. Drug testing will be done according to the USAWA guidelines. Most other organization’s Strongman Competitions are not drug tested. We will drug test! This will allow those drug free lifters to be able to compete against others who are also drug free.
3. The Old Time Strongman Events will be of such as to honor a lift/event done by an Old Time Strongman. This goes right along with our mission statement of the USAWA, to honor lifts done by Old Time Strongmen. No “modern” Strongmen events will be contested – such as stone loading, farmers walks, yoke carries, etc. Like I said before, there are plenty of other places to do those events in competition. Also, most of these Old Time Strongman Events will be done using just using a bar or dumbbell/dumbells. The use of specialized equipment in events will be limited, however, a few events will have them. I talking about unique lifts like the Dinnie Lift.
4. All of these Old Time Strongman Events will have “loose rules” compared to other All Round lifts. Several of these OTSM events will be partial movements, unlike traditional All Round lifts. I am hoping that eventually we will reach a list of around 20 “GOOD” OTSM lifts in our Rulebook so meet directors will have a good list to chose from for a meet. Finally, all of these lifts will have the minute clock, meaning a lifter gets as many tries within a minute to complete the lift on their attempt. No missed attempts on technicalities!!
I could see meet directors having an OTSM in which other All Round lifts might be included in the meet list of events. A lot of our other already established All Round lifts would fit “perfectly” into an OTSM meet. Lifts like the Crucifix and Two Hands Anyhow pretty much meet the criteria of an Old Time Strongman lift. But if these lifts are done in an OTSM meet, their rule as stated in the Rulebook must be followed, and not deviated from. This is essential so records in these lifts can be maintained. As you can see from these “founding principles”, Old Time Strongman will be a cross between modern Stongman and weightlifting. I’m really excited about this – and I’m looking forward to what the future will bring!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Forms and Applications
October 25, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
This past weekend I made some MAJOR CHANGES to the Forms and Applications section. These Forms and Applications reside under the top spot on the left hand side of the website. Most of these forms were in need of some serious updating, of which I did. Please take the time to check them out. There are FIVE major forms/applications used in the USAWA: Individual Membership Application, Meet Sanction Application, Club Membership Application, Hall of Fame Nomination Form, and the Online Store Order Form. I included them as both PDF’s and as Word Documents. The Word Document allows someone to download it, and then edit the form with the needed information. This is the way I would prefer the forms be filled out. Most of you have handwriting as bad as mine, and it sometimes seems IMPOSSIBLE for me to read! I also made the forms much more user friendly. I eliminated alot of unnecessary information from them. I combined the Individual Membership Application with the Drug Waiver Form, so now there is only ONE FORM to fill out and sign when applying for USAWA membership. You would be surprised how many times in the past I have received membership applications and the drug waiver is missing. I eliminated the requirement of sending in Club Bylaws and the list of Club Officers from the Club Membership Application. This always seemed ridiculous to me to require this, as most Clubs are like my Dino Gym and we don’t have bylaws!! I greatly simplified the Meet Sanction Application. Now only the pertinent information is required to fill out this form.
One last note on this, and let this be a warning. If ANYONE sends me an old Application from the Strength Journal from now on you will be DENIED MEMBERSHIP. I went to ALL THIS WORK and I want these new forms used from now on. And in case anyone is wondering, this comment is directed towards John McKean (I’m just joking ya John!!)
Categories: USAWA Daily News
USAWA Online Store
October 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Last June at the National Meeting in Kirksville, I proposed to the membership that we should develop an Online Store for the USAWA. This would allow USAWA members to purchase merchandise promoting the USAWA. The membership was all in favor of this and voted unanimously to do it. Of course I volunteered to head up this project, and it has turned into a BIG PROJECT. It has taken me a little longer getting this USAWA store online than I imagined – but the GOOD NEWS is that it is finally up and running! Initially I had big plans in setting it up, but after running into a few “roadblocks” I decided we would just start simple. The membership allocated me $1000 to buy merchandise (which I spent every dime of) and I selected 7 basic store items to start with. The inventory is very slim when you consider having to stock many different sizes of shirts. Add in offering two colors (Grey and Black) and that leaves only a few shirts of each. My plan is once our store inventory drops to around $500 worth (that means we have sold $500 worth) I’ll “beg” the USAWA Executive Board to allocate me another $1000 out of the USAWA treasury to buy more stuff.
These are the 7 items that are now available: Short Sleeve T-Shirts, Long Sleeve T- Shirts, the Officials Shirt, Patches, Water Bottles, Hoodies, and the Rulebook. All profits from the sale of these items goes into the USAWA Bank Account so make sure to make your check or money order out to the USAWA. DON’T MAKE IT OUT TO ME!! I marked the items up sufficiently to make some money for the USAWA, but hopefully not so high that it hinder sales. You have to remember when you order these items that the profits all go to benefit the USAWA, so in a sense when you spend this money you are helping out yourself!! I don’t envision the USAWA making alot of money off of this Online Store, but hopefully we will make a little that could go to some beneficial cause for the organization. I talking about the possibility of nicer USAWA Awards for our yearly awards, or even helping subsidize our National Championship with some extra dollars to make our National Meet even better. But whatever this money is used for, it will benefit EVERYONE! If this doesn’t ”sale you” on ordering – I don’t know what sales pitch would!
The items available in the Online Store are located at the far bottom of the left- hand side of the website under the heading “USAWA Store”. The order forms are available under “Forms and Applications”.
FOR AN USAWA ONLINE STORE CATALOG (PDF) – Online Store Catalog
Categories: USAWA Daily New
World Championships
April 29, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The entry form is now available for the 2011 IAWA World Championships held on November 19th & 20th in Perth, Australia hosted by the ARWLWA. The Worlds have not been held in Australia since 2003, so it is about time we get the opportunity to compete in the “land down under” in our most prestigious meet offered by the IAWA. I know I’m looking forward to it! Let’s show our support from the USAWA by several USAWA lifters attending. This time of the year is a beautiful time in Australia, and making a trip like this could easily be combined with a vacation. The promoters have made it easy on us – all you have to do is send in your entry “to commit” and then pay upon arrivial. The selection of lifts look like a perfect list – all areas of All-Round Weightlifting will be contested. Entries must be sent in by October 3rd to secure a spot in this World Championships.
MEET DETAILS
Date: Saturday 19 & Sunday 20th November 2011 Venue: Belmont Sports & Recreation Club, Cloverdale, Perth WA
Lifts: Zercher,Cheat Curl, Push Press from Racks, 1 Hand Dumbell Swing, Continental Clean & Jerk, Fulton Deadlift 2″ Bar, 2 Hand Vertical Lift
Participants must be current paid up members of their respective lifting clubs – IAWA UK, USAWA, ARWLWA, NZ
Entry Form (pdf) - World Entry Form 2011
Entry Form (word doc) – World Entry Form 2011
Rules of Competition Lifts – WORLDS LIFTS GUIDE
The ARWLWA Website contains more details regarding directions to the meet site and possible hotel accomodations near the meet. Please check out the ARWLWA website for this information.
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Welcome Mat Meet
September 22, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Jarrod Fobes
First Annual Welcome Mat Meet
Date: Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Meet Director: Jarrod Fobes
Location: The Welcome Mat Dojo 8250 W Coal Mine Ave, #9 Littleton, CO 80128
Sanction: USAWA membership required
Check-in: 9am day of the event at the venue.
Entry Fee: $15, includes T-shirt
Lifts: Turkish-get up, Crucifix, Dumbbell Walk Entries must be received by October 20th to get your T-shirt, otherwise entries accepted up to day of the event.
Mail entries and payment to:
Jarrod Fobes 2968 S Grant Street Englewood, CO 80113
Contact: [email protected] or call 303-339-0508
Click here for an entry form
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Backbreaker Pentathlon
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
Schmidt’s Backbreaker Pentathlon
Meet Director: Bill Clark
Date: Sunday, November 6th, 2011
Venue: Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri
Weigh-ins: 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: None
Entry Form: None
Awards: None
Membership: Must be a current USAWA Member
Lifts: Neck Lift, Hip Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, Harness Lift, and Back Lift
To enter, a confirmation must be sent to Bill Clark by the Tuesday preceding the meet. Bill can be reached by phone: 573-474-4510, Fax: 573-474-1449, or mail: Bill Clark, 3906 Grace Ellen Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65202
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events Goerner Deadlift
October 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
Hermann Goerner Deadlift Dozen plus One
Meet Director: Bill Clark
Date: Saturday, November 26th, 2011
Venue: Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri
Weigh-ins: 9 AM
Entry Fee: None
Entry Form: None
Awards: None
Membership: Must be a current USAWA Member
Lifts: Deadlift – Heels Together, Deadlift – 2 bars, Hack Lift, Jefferson Lift, Deadlift – One Arm (with both), Deadlift – One Arm, No Thumbs (with both), Fingers Deadlift – Index, Fingers Deadlift – Middle, Fingers Deadlift – Ring, Fingers Deadlift – Little, and Reeves Deadlift
To enter, a confirmation must be sent to Bill Clark by the Tuesday preceding the meet. Bill can be reached by phone: 573-474-4510, Fax: 573-474-1449, or mail: Bill Clark, 3906 Grace Ellen Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65202
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events
Legal Bars in the USAWA
November 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dino Gym member Matt Cookson squatting using the Dino Squat Bar in a recent workout. The Dino Squat Bar is a custom made bar that is longer than most commercial bars. But - is it legal for use in USAWA competition?
I really enjoyed Thom’s Daily News Story last week on his “15 Year Journey”. In his story he mentioned how he recently acquired a bar that was once owned by the Late Powerlifting GREAT John Ware. Thom was able to get this bar by a “stroke of luck”, and when he first got this bar it was rusted up so bad the collars wouldn’t even spin. It was about thrown away and turned into scrape iron! Thom saved the life of this barbell. Thom completely refurbished this great find to “working order” and it now a big part of the JWC Training Hall. We used it for the Anderson Squat in the USAWA Old Time Strongman Championships. It gave us all a good feeling knowing that this was the bar that John Ware used when he was training for his 1000# squats. This bar has all the good qualities you want in a squat bar – good knurling, very stiff, thick diameter, and EXTRA LONG! When Thom mentioned the bar being extra long in his story, I was FOR SURE thinking I would be getting an inquiry from some all-round lifter wondering if this was LEGAL for use in the USAWA. Surprisingly, I didn’t get this email from anyone. This brings us to the question, “What is a legal bar in the USAWA?”. Several lifting organizations have VERY SPECIFIC criteria for the design specifications of the bar being used in the competition (like the USWA). This was one issue that was TOTALLY REVISED with the updated USAWA Rulebook that took effect in 2009. I was the one who made these changes and here’s why. This was the rule in the Rulebook PRIOR to the 2009 edition regarding a legal bar in the USAWA:
The barbell must meet the following specifications:
20 kilogram (45 lbs) in weight
Length of the bar shall be 2200 millimeters (86.6 inches)
Diameter of the bar is 28 millimeters (1.1 inch)
Diameter of the sleeve is 50 millimeters (1.96 inch)
Distance between the inside collars is 1310 millimeters (51.6 inch)
Width of the inside collars including the collar of the sleeve must be 30 millimeters (1.2 inch)
There shall be knurling on the bar 245 millimeters (9.6 inch) from the inside collars towards the center.
There shall be a center knurling of 120 millimeters (4.7 inch) located in the exact center of the bar.
Those are PRETTY SPECIFIC criteria is determining what a legal bar is. Also notice that the rules state “barbell must meet”. This means there is no “wiggle room” on this. The bar is either legal or not legal according to what is listed above. I remember reading this in the rulebook the first time many years ago and upon reading it, went to the gym and measured all my bars and found I had NO BARS meeting those specs. And I have over 30 different type of bars in the Dino Gym!! That means I couldn’t even conduct a meet within the USAWA if I was going to be “technical about things”. I have no idea where these very specific specifications came from. My guess is that they were copied from some other organizations rules – and probably from the 1950’s! When I asked about this, I was told that this rule wasn’t enforced so “that was that”. I’m one who like things “spelled out”, and especially when it applies to rules. I have voiced “my gripes” about things like this in the past, but I feel a rule should be followed if there is one, and if it’s not followed then it should be changed to something that can be adhered to. That is the reason I made major changes to the rules concerning a legal bar in the USAWA. The rule for bars now is this (much looser in guidelines):
SECTION VI. ARTICLE 16. The bar must meet the following specifications.
The bar must have a minimum diameter of 28 millimeters or 1.1 inches.
The sleeves of the bar must have a minimum diameter of 50 millimeters or 1.96 inches.
The minimum distance between the inside collars is 51 inches.
The maximum distance between the inside collars is 58 inches.
The minimum total length of the bar must not be less than 7 feet. An exception to this is when lifts are done where the combined weight of the bar and the plates does not exceed 20 kilograms or 45 pounds, whereas a lighter and shorter bar may be used. Another exception is allowing a lighter and shorter bar to be used for women and junior lifters.
The maximum total length of the bar must not exceed 8 ½ feet.
All bars must be marked with a clear indication of the bar’s weight if the bar’s weight is not 45 pounds or 20 kilograms.
The bar may contain knurling on any parts of it.
For one hand lifts, the bar must contain knurling in the center of the bar.
The bar must be straight.
The sleeves of the bar are allowed to revolve.
I feel our new guidelines are much more appropriate than what we had previous. We allow alot of leniency in the type of bar used in our competitions. Now meet directors can conduct meets without worrying about being in violation of the rules concerning a legal bar. You would be “hard pressed” to find a commercial bar that does not fit the new rule criteria. These new bar rules hit all the main points that should be addressed, i.e. not allowing the use of a bent bar for the one handed deadlift. (hmm..now THAT’S NEVER HAPPENED! ) I want to also mention that the IAWA(UK) Rulebook (which we follow for IAWA competitions) still lists our OLD SPECS as defining a legal bar for competition. I haven’t asked, but I bet the response would be the same one I’ve heard before that this rule isn’t enforced! Of which my response would be THEN CHANGE THE RULE!! But THAT is another story for another day.
By the way, the Ware Bar and the Dino Squat Bar are LEGAL BARS in the USAWA!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Bars, Bars, and MORE Bars!
November 2, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Al doing front squats, his favorite lift! But try to ignore him, what I really want you to notice is the wide variety of bars on the Dino Gym wall!
Ok, if you lift weights regularly I’m sure you have noticed there are a lot of bars out there! Yesterday, Al pointed out what’s “legal” in the USAWA and how that rule has changed to allow some wiggle room. He wrote that article in response to my use of the over sized “John Ware” bar used at the OTSM Championships. I think I inadvertently opened a can of worms for Al using that bar. I, for one, appreciate the wiggle room. Here’s why:
Back in the day, all bars were assumed to be made for competition so they were all made to exact specifications. I remember sitting down with my Uncle Wayne Jackson as he ordered a new York 400lb Olympic set in 1977 (I still have it!). Back then, you had few suppliers to order from……then came the fitness craze and people started making bars for training, not competition. What’s the one thing that can end the life of a bar? Getting bent! How do you make a cheap bar last longer? Make it thicker and out of harder steel, so you end up with these bars that are thicker and of hardened steel that won’t “whip” like a high quality Oly bar. When you walk into my gym you will see the “gun rack” of bars and at first glance, they all look alike. But look closely and you’ll see all kinds of subtle variations. I’ll blame China, too. Even Eleiko, the “Cadillac” of barbells, now has their bars forged in China, then assembled in Sweden. I had a York bar that had “York, U.S.A” on it….made in China…but assembled in the USA so I guess they get around the loophole of not mentioning “China” on the bar. I’ll blame China because I don’t think they worry too much about “exactness”. They don’t care if it’s “legal”, they just crank out a product and if it’s close, then it’s all good to them.
I have about 15 or so bars (I don’t know exactly how many because I have so much of my stuff out on “loan” I’ve lost count. But let’s just say I have a wide variety of bars (but not as many as the Dino Gym) and when you look closely at these bars there are all kinds of subtle…and not so subtle differences. There are also many variations in the type of steel used. The best kind of steel for a bar will bend and good steel will bend and then snap back into it’s original shape. Hardened Steel will not bend and will tend to snap if you force it to bend or it will bend and stay that way. You can even have good and bad batches of steel that are intended to be the same. So, two bars that are “Exactly” the same upon visual inspection, maybe even made by the same company, may have very different characteristics. Companies today will “contract” out jobs to factories in China. That contract may be bid out after each order and a different company will supply the bar each time resulting in all kinds of variations.
Ok, just ignore he ugly guy doing the Continental to the Shoulders and focus on the bars on the wall! More bars in Al's gym!
Finally, it’s my contention the original size of an Olympic bar was developed for the average sized man. I am 6′3″ and my wing span is 6′9″. It is very difficult for me to get under a “regulation” bar and not bind up. John Ware was the same way so he had that bar we used in the 2011 OTSM Championships custom made for him. I know there are some issues with having the weights further away from the center of gravity and that can create more “whip” and help with certain lifts…but it’s easier for the shorter guy to adapt to a longer bar than the taller guy to adapt to a shorter bar.
Again....try not to focus on the ugly guys...and notice the bars leaning against the wall in the background! The JWC has it's fair share of bars! (btw...that's Dean Ross hitting a Anderson Squat at the OTSM in the JWC Training Hall!)
So, the moral of my story? There are a lot of variations out there on the “standard” Olympic bar. Some will bend, some will have good whip. I have 4 made by York and there are differences in width INSIDE the collars and there should NOT BE as these are regulation bars. We need a little play so that we can allow for more bars to be used. Weightlifting for fitness is a growing craze, but lifting as a sport is DYING! Today’s generation is not the sticklers for details like Baby boomers who were raised by the WWII generation where almost everyone had served in the military and picked up on that “attention to detail”. Today’s younger guys just want to lift more weight and they don’t like rules that make no sense to them. Rules are made to make things more fair, not the other way around. So, thanks to the USAWA for loosening up the rules on the dimensions of the bars but keeping the spirit of fairness by having rules that keeps the lifting true and comparable from contest to contest! I think it will be good for our sport!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Ramblin’
November 3, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
One of my favorite sections of Bill Clark’s old Strength Journals was his “Ramblin” commentaries. These often went “on and on” about any significant or insignificant activity within the USAWA, or just his general viewpoints regarding an issue pertinent at the time. So pretty much, Bill just rambled on about anything and everything, thus the name of the section – Rambin’. Well, I’m no Bill Clark, but I got several things to announce or comment on today so I will be Ramblin’ a bit myself.
First of all, I want to wish Jarrod Fobes the best of luck for his meet in Denver, Colorado on Saturday. The meet is named “The Welcome Mat Meet” and will be Jarrod’s first promotion within the USAWA. I really wanted to be there, and made plans to do so, but a family issue has interfered with my travel plans so I will be staying home dealing with that instead. I believe this will be the FIRST EVER USAWA meet or event sanctioned in the State of Colorado. I will need to do some checking to see for sure, but I don’t ever remember a meet in Colorado. (If any of you “oldtimers” remember one please let me know.) Of course, the most famous Colorado USAWA lifter is Rex Monahan. Rex was a mainstay in major competitions for many years. There is rarely a major meet where the conversation doesn’t turn to Rex, and a story or two is told in his remembrance. But I don’t think Rex ever put on a USAWA meet in Colorado???? I can’t forget mentioning the Backbreaker this weekend as well. This meet has been a mainstay at Clarks Gym for many years, and emphasizes all the heavy lifts – the Back, Hip, H&T, Neck, and Harness. If you get a chance to make this meet on Sunday – DO IT! More than likely you will get to meet up with the Heavy Lift PHENOMS Steve Schmidt and Joe Garcia, and they will very nicely give you the BEAT DOWN!
Before I forget, I want to congratulate Jarrod for passing his USAWA officials test. His name is now added to the list of Certified USAWA Officials. This list is getting “longer and longer” and the USAWA Officials Program is growing. I am glad we n0w have an Officials Program in the USAWA, after going many years without one. I know the critics will always say that “passing a test doesn’t make a good official”, and I’m not going to argue that point. But passing a test does do TWO THINGS that we didn’t have before: number 1, insures that an official has at least looked at the USAWA Rulebook once in their life, and point number 2, shows that the official at least cares enough to put a little time into taking the test to become certified. I don’t think we are asking too much!!! Plus, every year I know we will do things to “strengthen” the officials program. Last year at the National Meeting it was passed that an USAWA Official must also be a current member of the USAWA to be active. Again, that is NOT TO MUCH TO ASK, but it is a small step forward.
BTW – the USAWA Online Store is making sales! I just sent out a big order yesterday to Jim Malloy. Thanks Jim for your order! Jim has been a HUGE SUPPORTER of the USAWA for many, many years. He always keeps his membership up to date and has supported practically every thing the USAWA has done. Before I know it I will need to be ordering more merchandise. Also, our inventory stock is very limited and it is VERY LIKELY that certain sizes of shirts will be sold out before I restock. I will list this on the store item blog site as it happens. PLEASE CHECK THIS before ordering items that may be out of stock. Also, if anyone has ideas for other online store items just let me know and I’ll consider it (unless someone wants something silly, like say, USAWA labeled beer!).
The IAWA World Championships in Perth, Australia is getting closer! It looks like the USAWA will have a good representation of competitors present. Besides myself and Chad Ullom, I know that Denny Habecker, Art Montini, and Dennis & Flossy Mitchell will be making the trip. I don’t know of any other USAWA lifters that are going, and if you are, please let me know. Come to think of it – this is the SAME GROUP that made it to the IAWA Championships in Glasgow last year! Best of luck to all competitors and safe travels.
I better call it quits before this gets too long. After all, Bill usually kept his “ramblins” to only a page in the ole Journal!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Secret to my Strength
November 4, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
My lovely wife, Kelly, serving up cake at the USAWA Nationals hosted by the JWC. She is the icing on my cake!
I have a secret to my strength, however much of it I have, and I owe it to someone special in my life. It has nothing to do with secret supplements, or special workout routines, or coaching I have received, but everything to do with the source of my motivation to be successful in life. It’s my wife. And since we are celebrating our 21st Anniversary this week (and more importantly to me the 25th Anniversary of our first date and the “real” first day or our life journey!!!!) I wanted to give her the credit she deserves.
My awesome wife, Kelly, by my side. She not only makes me feel younger but I even look younger.
Like a lot of us, we have a wife that puts up with what we do. Some are more supportive than others. I have admired some of the older guys in the USAWA and their how their wives seem to support what they do, like Dennis Mitchell and Denny Habecker. My wife takes care of a lot of the “behind the scenes” things at the numerous meets I run and I’m lucky to have someone who understands that my training is part of who I am and without it, I’m much less of a man. I really need it to stay balanced and focused and my wife let’s me do that.
So, thanks for letting me give credit to someone who had been there by my side for 25 years….but let’s all take some time to thank those who help us out and let us do the things we love to do! A solid partner in life is maybe the most important ingredient to success. Thanks Kelly, for choosing to be mine!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Vertical Bar Deadlift, 2 Bars, 2″
November 5, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Longtime USAWA member and IAWA supporter John McKean performs a 283 pound Vertical Bar Deadlift - 2 Bars, 2" at the 2010 USAWA Club Challenge in Ambridge, PA.
One of the lifts that will be contested at this year’s World Championships in Perth, Australia will be the Vertical Bar Deadlift, 2 Bars, 2″. This a very difficult grip lift that requires grip strength in BOTH HANDS. If one of your hands is weaker than the other, this lift will show it! I have done this lift in several USAWA competitions to date, but never in an IAWA competition. This event was contested at the 2003 USAWA National Championships in Youngstown, Ohio.
A while back I received a question regarding this lift which I thought was an EXCELLENT QUESTION, so I would like share this question and my response since I’m sure other lifters might be wondering the same thing.
QUESTION: I wonder if you could help me out with some lifting technique!? It is with reference to the 2 x 2″ vertical bar lift for Australia – I had a go at this lift on friday night, I attempted it with one bar at either side of my legs and found the weight plates were catching my legs all the way up!!! Is the straddle stance, i.e. one pin in front and one pin behind a legal position? Also is it mechanically better? Thanks for the help.
First, lets do a review of the rules for this lift. By now most of you know my frustrations with the nuances of rule differences between the USAWA rules and the IAWA rules for lifts. Well, this lift is no exception to that as you will see. (By the way, both of these rule descriptions are actually for the same lift! It doesn’t appear that way when you read them. ) Even the names are drastically different - the USAWA calls it a deadlift while the IAWA rules just call it a lift.
USAWA Rules for the Vertical Bar Deadlift, 2 Bars, 2″
I25. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 2”
The rules of the Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 1” apply except two 2” inch diameter Vertical Bars are used.
Need to reference this rule -
I24. Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 1”
The setup for this lift requires two Vertical Bars, which is a bar of one inch diameter with a maximum length of 18 inches. A collar or plate must be tightly fastened or welded to the bottom so plates may be added to the bars. Both vertical bars must be loaded to the same weight. No knurling is allowed on the bars. The lifter must start with the bars on each side of the lifter. Width of feet placement is optional, but the feet must be parallel and in line with the torso. Feet must not move during the lift, but the heels and toes may rise. Each bar may be gripped by any grip near the top of the Vertical Bars. The forearms are not allowed to touch the bars. The lifting hands or weight may accidentally touch the lifter’s body or legs during the lift, provided that it does not aid in the lift. The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. The body must then straighten, lifting the Vertical Bars from the platform. The legs must be straight and knees locked and the body upright at the completion of the lift. Any rotation of the bars must be completely stopped. Once the weight is motionless, an official will give a command to end the lift.
IAWA Rules for the Two Vertical Bars (one in each hand) – 2 inch rods
F26. TWO VERTICAL BARS (ONE IN EACH HAND) – 2 INCH RODS The rules of performance are the same as for the vertical bar lift, except that the lift is performed with two x 2 inch diameter bars / rods, one in each hand.
Causes for Failure:
1. Causes for failure are the same as for the vertical bar lift, except that 2 x 2 inch rods are used.
Need to reference this rule -
F19. VERTICAL BAR LIFT – TWO INCH ROD
The rules of performance are the same as for the vertical bar lift, except that the lift is performed with a two inch diameter bar / rod.
Causes for Failure:
1. Causes for failure are the same as for the one hand vertical lift, except that a 2 inch rod is used.
Need to reference this rule as well -
F2. ONE HAND VERTICAL BAR LIFT
The lifter will grip a vertical bar with one hand, and lift the bar and weight stack clear of the lifting surface, holding it motionless and under control for two seconds. On completion the legs should be erect and straight with the free hand clear of any contact with the body. The bar will be of 1 inch diameter, and can be up to 30 inches long. A collar or base plate should be tightened or welded on the bottom to hold the vertical weight stack. The bar should not be knurled. The lifter can use an optional grip, and the lifting hand should not be in contact with or in close proximity to the weight stack, so as to avoid any tipping or gripping of the bar with the weight stack at an angle. The lifter should also be careful to ensure that the bar does not touch the forearm or leg, and the lifting hand is not locked against the thigh.
Causes for Failure:
1. Any contact of the bar with the forearm or legs, or locking of the lifting hand or bar against the thigh. 2. Any contact between the lifting hand and the weight stack, or any attempt to tip or grip the bar at an angle. 3. Failure to achieve and maintain the finished position (weight held clear of the lifting surface, motionless and under control for two seconds, with the legs erect and straight and the free hand clear of any contact with the body. 4. Replacing / lowering the bar before the referees signal.
Wow! That is confusing – isn’t it??? Now add in the factor that the World Entry form, in it’s attached list of guidelines for the rules of the lifts to be contested, has this lift misnamed as the 2 HANDS FULTON DUMBELLS DEADLIFT (I’m sure this is was just listed this way on accident), but you can see why someone would have questions regarding this lift! Add in the differences in rules between the USAWA and the IAWA and it makes it nearly impossible for me to answer some parts of the question as well.
Is the straddle stance legal?
The USAWA rules state that it IS NOT (the bars must be on each side of the lifter). The IAWA rules don’t state that is an infraction (nothing is mentioned regarding the lifter’s stance) , so I can assume that a straddle stance is allowed. Now to the part about it being a mechanically advantage to use the straddle stance – I have tried it both ways and I prefer the side by side approach. It seems to me that my grip is dramatically reduced when holding one of the VBs to the back, and since this event is limited by my grip and not my back strength, this reduces the amount I can lift.
What are some other rules differences between the USAWA and the IAWA?
The big one that “jumps out” to me is the legal length allowed. The USAWA rules clearly state the VBs can not be over 18 inches in length while the IAWA rules allow a length of up to 30 inches long! This is a HUGE difference! Having a VB that long turns this lift into a partial lift. For some short lifters, the VB may barely even clear the floor at lockout! The USAWA rules require the lifter to stand totally upright with shoulders back (that is why it is called a deadlift in the USAWA rules) while the IAWA rules only require, as stated in the rules “to lift the bar and weight stack clear of the lifting surface”, thus I would say is why it is just called a lift. Nothing is stated in the IAWA rules about being required to stand upright (but I won’t be surprised that this will be required come meet day, and be justified with the explanation that standing upright was implied). Here’s another question – my left hand strength on a VB is slightly less than my right hand, so can I load the VBs to different weights? The USAWA rules clearly state NO on this - but this is not stated as an infraction in the IAWA rules so I’m going to assume I can do this (but then again I bet come meet day this will also not be allowed, with the explanation that this is ANOTHER implied IAWA rule on this lift). With these rule differences it appears to me that the USAWA rules are much more difficult than the IAWA rules for this SAME LIFT. There is one rule issue that might make the IAWA rules a little more difficult than the USAWA rules as they state the weight must be ”motionless and under control for two seconds” whereas the USAWA rules only require the VBs to be held till “the weight is motionless”. Two seconds is a long time to hold at lockout after becoming motionless, and will definitely decrease the amount of weight that can be lifted versus getting the down command immediately when the VBs are motionless.
Neither set of rules state limitations on the size of plates that can be loaded onto the Vertical Bars. When lifting the VBs at your side, large plates (45#s or 20Ks) will hit the side of your legs and cause drag, and in turn less weight can be lifted. I prefer loading the VBs with smaller plates(25#s or 10Ks) when performing this lift. Hopefully this will be the way the Vertical Bars will be loaded in Australia.
I have stated my opinion on rules many times before but I’m going to repeat it. I don’t really care WHAT the rules are for a lift as long as the rules are well written and are specific in what is allowed and disallowed. NOTHING SHOULD BE IMPLIED WHEN IT COMES TO THE RULE BOOK.
It also would be nice if the USAWA and the IAWA had consistent rules in all of the lifts. We are far from that now. But if at Worlds, the Vertical Bars are 30 inches long and only need to clear the floor a 1/2″ to be a legal lift, I will adapt to that and do it that way!
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Lifts
Updated Rules Test
November 6, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
USAWA President Denny Habecker (left) and the late Wilf Chapman (right) of Australia officiating at the 2007 IAWA World Championships in New Zealand.
I just want to announce that the USAWA Rules Test has been updated. The USAWA Official’s Director Joe Garcia and myself have made a few changes to the Open Book Rules Test that must be passed in order to become an USAWA Certified Official. Joe had identified some “bad questions” on the old exam and these questions have been changed or modified. Now I’m not saying we made the test easier – because a few new “hard” questions were added as well. From this point on, this new test must be the one taken. Don’t fill out and send in the old test! If you do, you will be asked to take this new one instead. So this is YOUR WARNING!!!!! Also, due to some rule changes in the past couple of years, the answers to some questions have changed. This new test is much improved, with very few “open ended” questions.
There are actually rules for the Rules Test. Since there are no questions covering these rules of the Rules Test in the Rules Test (wow, say that three times quick!), I’m going to go over them. This is taken from Section VII of the USAWA Rule Book as it applies to the Rules Test:
10. There will be two levels of classification for Certified USAWA officials.
Level 1 Test Qualified – The official has passed the USAWA Rules Test. Level 1 Experience Qualified – The official has the experience of officiating in 25 or more competitions or events.
Level 2 – The official has passed the USAWA Rules Test and has the experience of officiating in 25 or more competitions or events.
11. The USAWA Secretary will maintain a list of certified officials, their level of classification, and their active/inactive status. This list will be available to the membership.
12. The USAWA Rules Test will consist of 100 open book questions regarding rules within this rulebook. The test must be completed and returned to the Officials Director to be judged. There is no time limit in taking the test. To pass the test, an applicant must score over 90 percent. The Officials Director will inform you only of a pass or fail. You will not be told the questions you missed. If you fail, you may retake the test as many times as you like. Once an applicant has passed the test, the Officials Director will inform the USAWA Secretary to include you on the list of Certified USAWA Officials.
13. Once an official has passed the Rules Test, the Officials Director will issue an Officials card that will be valid for 3 years from the date the official passed the test. Level 1 Test Qualified Officials will be required to retake the Rules Test after 3 years to maintain Certified Official Status. Level 1 Experience Qualified Officials will receive an Officials card that is valid for 3 years and will be automatically renewed unless the official has been inactive as an official during the previous three year period, in which a new Officials Card will not be issued unless the individual makes a written request to the Officials Director. Level 2 Officials are exempt from recertification, and are issued a lifetime officials card.
14. An individual must make a written request to the Officials Director in order to apply for Level 1 Experience Qualified Certified Status and provide proof that the individual has the 25 competition experience requirement. This also applies to an official who wants to change their level of certification from Level 1 Test Qualified to Level 2.
In a couple of years (2013) we will begin to have a few officials that will need to renew their certification. Joe and I have discussed this, and we have decided that we will work up a new test in a year from now. This way those re-certifying will have a new and different test to take. I’m sure some questions will remain the same or just be changed slightly. I KNOW myself (and Joe) will hear some complaining and bellyaching when this happens, but THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS in order to have a good officials program. Our officials program already lets the “experienced” officials “off the hook” when it comes to taking the Rules Test. That is why there is that “25 event” loophole in the rules now. My opinion is that EVERYONE should be taking the test and this is why – we have over 200 official lifts in the USAWA, and the rules are being changed and amended every year now, plus new lifts are being added. Even the experienced officials have to “stay on top of things” in order to be a good official. The main reason of the Rules Test is to insure that the officials are familiar with the current USAWA Rulebook. All the questions on the test can be “looked up” and answered, since it is an open book exam. This process FORCES someone to at least know where to look for the answers to judging questions or where the individual lifts rules are located in the Rulebook. Since I’m on a “soapbox” right now, let me tell you about another gripe I have with officiating (besides the USAWA and IAWA(UK) rules differences). First of all, wrong calls on lifts will always be made by officials. I even see it watching NFL games with instant replay, and these guys are paid “big bucks” to be professional officials. Making a bad call doesn’t bother me – and I believe the officiating is as good in the USAWA as it ever has been. Judgement calls are judgement calls – and everyone sees things differently. What bothers me is when “experienced officials” really don’t even KNOW THE RULES. That is inexcusable. All you have to do is have a rulebook and READ THE RULE of the upcoming lift before sitting in the chair. I watch outstanding seasoned officials like Denny Habecker and this never happens to him, and this is why. He is always carrying his Rulebook with him when officiating and reads over the rules for the upcoming lift (which he probably knows like the knurling on his favorite bar) just TO BE SURE he hasn’t forgot something. That’s what it takes to be an outstanding official!!!
This new Rules Test is located on the website under “USAWA Information – Officials & Rules Test” .
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Dale is Again Back
November 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Dale Friesz
Dale Friesz in action at Art's Birthday Bash performing a 122 pound Ring Fingers Deadlift for a new USAWA Record.
After some 15 months away from the platform, I was finally able to try my hand at Art’s Birthday Meet, October 16th, 2011. This is the longest period I have gone without training or competitive lifting in the last 31 years. What I find amusing is I lifted at Art’s with very limited training in the 5 weeks preceding the meet. I was able to do three singles per workout 2-3 times per week on the two hand finger lifts. The reason for the finger lifts was that they have been a consistant part of my training since 2005. During the 15 months after losing my leg I was unable to stand as the stump would not heal and I have 2 injured shoulders thus no bench work.
Since 2000, I have normally had one or more fairly major medical issues each year. These include joint replacements (hip and shoulder), aorta reconstruction, triple heart by pass, three heart attacks, stent implants in the bypass, two congestive heart failures, implanting of a defibrillator/pace maker, two gastric bleeds, several episodes of MRSA, right leg vein reconstruction and compression surgery, eight vein transplants to establish blood flow in my left leg, the loss of two toes, and then finally the loss of my left leg. After the loss of the left leg there have been some seven additional surgeries on the left stump so that it would heal. It is now about 95%. I have no word on when I will be fitted with a permanent prosthesis. I am extremely fortunate to have the Doctor I do. He understands my compulsion to lift weights. He has also said that the weights are the reason I am still breathing. Without my wife, my care giver, I would not have made it.
Al Myers has asked how do you train when you have all this down time? Prior to the last 15 months I always returned to the all-round basics plus the finger lifts using 3 to 4 sets of one rep on each exercise. As limited as I now am I am trying to figure out balance on next years national lifts and hope for a prosthesis with ankle flexibility. I still do the finger lifts!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Iron Boots
November 8, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Iron Boots – A full leg workout that fits in your gym bag
Iron Boots by Atomic Athletic Before leg extension and leg curl machines there was Iron Boot training. Iron Boots have been helping athletes get unbelievable leg development for decades. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Iron Boots, they are a pair of iron sandals that strap on your feet. They utilize a small bar placed through the sole of the boot which allows them to be loaded with weight plates and used for several different leg exercises. For many years, the Iron Boot was one of the premier products of the York Barbell Company. If you are lucky enough to own a copy of “How to Build Super Strength, Health and Development with the York Leg Developing Course” published by Bob Hoffman in 1943, you can see many classic shots of the Iron Boot in action.
Our Iron Boot set now includes the Atomic Athletic Leg Development Course FREE!
The secrets of the past are now revealed. While Iron Boots are ideal for leg exercises, most people don’t realize that Iron Boots are also perfect for abdominal training. Hanging leg raises, and various forms of sit-ups can be taken to the extreme with the addition of Iron Boot exercises to your routine. They are also a very efficient way to add weight to your pull-ups and stretch out your hip flexors. No matter what you use them for, Iron Boots are worth their weight in gold.
Note: These are NOT made by Ivanko, and they are exclusively available at Atomic Athletic. One size fits all. Flat sole means you can now stand on one foot to do standing single leg exercises. This is especially useful for the martial arts guys. Each Iron Boot Set comes with the pair of Iron Boots, and the tough steel pressure buckle straps to keep them on your feet. It now also comes complete with the written Atomic Athletic Leg Development Course. Iron Boots only take “Standard” size plates, meaning that the hole is the smaller one (1″) inch diameter hole. Please do not confuse this with “Olympic” or “International” size plates.
WEBMASTER’S COMMENT: TO ORDER IRON BOOTS OR ANY OF THE OTHER FANTASTIC PRODUCTS OF ATOMIC ATHLETIC, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Garage Rope Climbing
November 9, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
The benefits of rope climbing can be accomplished by hanging a rope from the ceiling or a power rack.
I am tired of hearing about guys who “can’t” do rope climbing because they don’t have the ceiling space. You simply don’t need twenty foot ceilings to work rope climbing. I have many customers who hang a rope off their rafters, in their standard garage and practice rope climbing. The dedicated ones even get to the point of doing “Touch’N Go” style climbing in an L-Sit. One guy started off weighing 300 pounds and not able to hang from a chin-up bar. A hundred pounds of bodyweight down the drain and he is doing one hand chins and those “Touch’N Go” Climbs.
Cool dude.
If you can’t do a chin-up, start with any kind of pulling/rowing exercises on our Rack Ropes and assisted chins and pull-ups. You will be ripping out 10 dead hang pull-ups in a hurry. You just have to dedicate yourself. You may have to lose some weight at the same time. You know what to do. Dedicate yourself. The first time you hit ten reps, everyone will see that accomplishment in the way you walk. It’s up to you. WEBMASTER’S COMMENT: TO ORDER ANY OF THE FANTASTIC PRODUCTS OF ATOMIC ATHLETIC, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/
Categories: USAWA Daily New
Introduction To The Lynch Formula
November 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
(WEBMASTERS COMMENTS: The following story was given to me by Roger Davis some time ago. I just “found it” again as I was cleaning off a portion of my desk looking for something else. As most of you know, the Lynch Formula is the formula we use in the USAWA & IAWA to make the correction adjustments for lifters of different bodyweights. I’m not even sure what publication this article is from, but it does outline the ideas Ian Lynch had when he developed the Lynch Formula. It appears to have been written in 1988, which is about the time we started using the Lynch Formula. I’m still thankful to Roger for keeping this information with the original Lynch Formula so the Lynch Formula Factors could be extended to lifters of higher bodyweights, which we did a couple of years ago. I won’t rehash the fairness of the Lynch Formula at this time. That was covered in depth a couple of years ago, and for those of you interested, those blogs are still on the website. This story should have been ran at that time, but I’m doing it now so it will be saved on the website before I lose this paper again. I know it is a little boring if you are not the mathematical type, and if you don’t want to read all of it that is fine. Come back tomorrow and I promise to have some entertaining ”feel good” piece full of fluff by Thom Van Vleck!!) by Ian Lynch (October 1988)
The O’Carroll Formula is familiar to most Guild members, and is used to handicap lifters of different weights. In devising the Formula, Mike O’Carroll used both statistical and physiological evidence to arrive at a fairly complex mathematical function:
Y + (75 – 35)1/3 / (B – 35)1/3
Y is the O’Carroll coefficient used in tables 75 is to make the coefficient 1.000 at this weight. B is the assumed weight of the lifter’s “non-muscular” mass, eg. bones, brain, etc.
Lynch Formula Graphs
There are many other Formulas, eg Austin, (the original one used in Britain) Lietzke, Vorobyev and , of course, Schwartz. The strength of the O’Carroll system is that Dr. O’Carroll looked at the physiological reasons to arrive at a basis for the mathematics then cross-referenced this against actual performances to arrive at the constraints, eg. 35 kg. The Formula is tried and tested and was worked out before the drugs era, which is important since it is difficult to say how “Smartie- taking” might change the physiological factors on which the Formula is based.
Unfortunately for the Guild, however, the Formula was designed before even a 52 kg. weight class appeared, and is very unreliable at weights below this. This is because the 35 kg. “non-muscular” component of a person’s body is not, in practice, constant. If it was, anyone weighing 35 kg. would be a totally non- muscular skeleton like me or, in Cookie’s case, a 35 kg. tub of lard, and indeed, no one would weigh less than 35 kg. In the Guild we have opened up competition to more ladies and younger people who, invariably, are lighter than the weight classes provided for by the formula. To combat this I have taken a small liberty with the Formula. Instead of assuming that the non-muscular weight is constant, I have assumed it to be a non-linear function. The particular function was chosen because it means that the final curve produced fits very closely to the O’Carroll curve at greater weights than 52 kg., but at lighter weights produces realistic allowances down as far as we likely to need. See Fig. 1 . There is no deliberate physiological reason for choosing the function I have used other than it fits experience and data so far available. I suspect that there are too many other factors such as age, sex and such like, to arrive at a simple system that is perfectly fair to everyone, but I feel we should make every effort to develop good practice to cater for as many as possible.
For those who like maths, I have replaced the constant 35 by 39.53 – (300/w) – (3000/w^2), in order to preserve the 1.0 coefficient at 75 kg. and modify the curve as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows how what was previously a value fixed at 35 kg. varies with the weight of the lifter. In practical terms it means that a 40 kg. lifter is assumed to have a non-muscular weight of about 30 kg., a 75 kg. lifter 35 kg. (as in the old system) and a 120 kg. lifter about 37 kg. This marginally helps lifters heavier than 75 kg. and marginally hinders those less than 75 kg. I have stuck to kgs, but it would not be difficult to convert this to pounds if required.
*** Ed’s Note: Curious isn’t it, that someone like Ian who, you must agree, exhibits at the very least a modicum of Intelligence, has a non-muscular constant (head) of 2.25 kg. However, this was mostly bone as brain mass wasn’t discovered and the question was mooted that perhaps he was a Scots Powerlifter. Close. Still, when his teaching days are over he always has his legs to fall back on as those who have enjoyed the dubious pleasure.
Right. now we are even on insults.
Seriously, we cannot thank Ian enough because his expertise will give us a greater platform on which to base the accuracy of our results in the coming years. We have used the O’Carroll Formula in every aspect of our activities and now we will use the”LYNCH FORMULA” with the same degree of confidence and to the same satisfying effect. For the moment – at least – I am only publishing the new figures in Kilos. If it becomes a trial to those applying the new system, then I’ll publish in Imperial Pounds, but I’d prefer if everybody used the metric Kilos from now on – as a matter of course – for uniformity and ease of application
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Your First Set of Weights
November 12, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
One of my granddad's original York plates from his "first set" of weights
Do you remember your first set of weights? When I was 10 I was in a terrible car accident and was injured pretty badly. I broke both legs, both arms, my hip and various other injuries….I still hurt!!!! As I recovered from that, I could not go to the JWC gym so my Mom bought me some plastic coated cement weights. They were “Randy White” weights, he was a defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys. I made it a goal to lift the entire set of 110lbs overhead.
I also remember, around 1977, sitting with my Uncle Wayne Jackson as he ordered a brand new York set of weights, a 400lb set of the “top of the line” olympic weights. A short time later, somebody STOLE that set and I remember being angry and heartbroken. Luckily, insurance covered it’s replacement and soon we were back in business. Although, I have to admit, I still wonder where that bar ended up!
I also recall my grandfather Dalton Jackson talking about waiting 10 YEARS to order his first set of weights. Before that, he made weights out of buckets of cement and old metal rods and supplemented that by lifting anvils, rocks, whatever was around. He had an assortment of flywheels and other scrap metal discs that had odd shaped holes in them he used for weights. It was 10 years and he was even married by then before he could order his first weight set. It was a York 1″ set, I think it was 110lbs. I have a good portion of that set, and that’s a story unto itself as part of that was out of our family for over 40 years and only recently was reacquired! I’m sure my Grandfather very much appreciated that first set!
Finally, my kids have all the best stuff. When my daughter started lifting I bought her a “top of the line” 33lb women’s Olympic bar. I try to make sure they have all they need, but I wonder, will they have an appreciation for what they have? Will they have that feeling that comes with that “First Set of Weights”? I hope so, it’s a good feeling, a special one. And a feeling I get almost every time I get a new toy to lift in my gym.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Weight Over Bar
November 13, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Thom Van Vleck tossing the 42lb weight at the 2011 Kirksville Games
Some of you may know that several of our USAWA members are currently, or have been, participants in the Scottish Highland Games. These are strength events, but mostly involve throwing or tossing weights. One of the events, and my personal favorite, is the “Weight Over Bar”. I thought I might give a little background on this event, discuss the rules, and explain why I think throwing this type of movement into your training occasionally might be a good way to mix things up and avoid a training rut. This event involves throwing a weight with a handle over a cross bar for height using one hand only. Women use a 28lb weight, masters men and under 190lb throwers use a 42lb weight, and all other men use a 56lb weight. It is thought the weights were originally balance beam scale weights. In the old system in Scotland a “hundredweight” equaled 112lbs. Half that was 56lbs and half that was 28lbs. A “stone” was 14lbs and the 42lb weight was half way between the 28 and 56. So, basically the 28 was 2 stones, the 42 was 3 stones, and the 56 was 4 stones! It should be noted old English Anvils also used this measuring system and that is why if you find an English anvil and it says 112 on the side, it’s NOT 112lbs, but 1 hundred weight (112lbs), 1 Quarter Hundred weight (28lbs) and then 2 odd pounds. So it would be 112 + 28 + 2 = 142lbs! I know, pretty complicate, just know in the Highland games we throw a 28lb, a 42lb, and a 56lb weight!
There are two ways to get the weight over the bar. You can “stand” and basically do what would be a “super one hand snatch” and pull the weight up and over your head and over the bar. Or you can do the “spin” and basically do a “turn” (much like the rotation on the shot put). That technique is not widely accepted (such as by our USAWA secretary!) plus it’s very difficult to master so unless you are going to take this up as a sport let’s focus on the standing style. Typically, in competition, you would have “standards” that look much like a high jump bar or pole vault set up. The bar goes up until only one competitor is left. Out of the 9 events in the Highland Games, this is the most basic. It requires the least technique and is often dominated by the strongest athletes.
That is why I think it would make a good training tool to add to the rotation of your training routine. It would be a good event to use to train for the one arm snatch, the DB Swing, DB Snatch….any movement where you have to move the bar quickly from the floor to overhead! You could use a kettlebell to practice this event, or a solid dumbbell. Since the idea is to throw it as high as possible I would only do this outside where the weight can fall safely on the ground. Use a weight you can get up in the air 12 to 15ft. You don’t need a cross bar, just get out there and get some rips in and see what happens. Pulling a weight hard enough to toss it several feet over your head should develop explosive power and speed. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun! If you do it in your back yard you can give your neighbors something to talk about!
Sometimes this event is called the Weight for Height. I have no problem with this, but just so you know it is thought the Weight for Height actually refers to how the Irish would perform this event. Instead of tossing the weight over a bar (the term “toss” is used whenever you speak of height events and “throw” whenever it is a distance event) you have a target, often made of wood, hanging in the air and you try and hit the target. If you hit it, it is raised and you go again. Some of the other rules for the Weight Over Bar include you have three tries at each height. If you make it, the bar goes up and you get three fresh attempts. So, in competition it’s not unusual to take 5, event 10 or more attempts.
So, mix up your training a little, the kilt is optional! Try some Weight Over Bar!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Crucifix – Part 1
November 14, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Part 1 – Crucifix Holds
Crucifix using two kettlebells.
Strange lifts abound in the world of old school strongman feats, but the classic Crucifix Hold would seem to be pretty easy to understand. Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong. You simply have to start doing this movement to really grasp the coolness and easy application to a variety of training programs.
This first Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin, covering the Crucifix Hold is going to highlight some of the many benefits, where to fit it into your routine and some initial tips for you to get started. This will help you bypass a few of the stumbling blocks I hit along the way.
1. Shoulder Development: The crucifix is just one of the exercises that Vic Boff recommends for use with kettlebell handles. As Vic Boff says in his “Body Builder’s Bible”, “The exercises, when carefully followed through,will give excellent results when intelligently applied.” (Boff, p. 125) I highly recommend that you actually work the various kettlebell handle exercises in Vic’s book. They provide outstanding supplementary training for the competition lift, which is not just part of the USAWA, but frequently seen in strongman contests as well.
2. Tools: The old classic shots of strongmen, from fifty to one hundred years ago, almost always show the strongman doing the Crucifix Hold with some sort of globe kettlebell. As I have a pretty good selection of equipment, including antique Milo Bar Bell globes, I figured this was the way to go. Wrong. Then I tried various dumbbells, which turned out to be varying degrees of “acceptable”. The best was definitely NOT solid kettlebells, as the small solid heads and somewhat rounded handles had strange torque issues. Maybe competition grade kettlebells would have been better, but I don’t have any of those here to try. Certainly the best, and cheapest, were the kettlebell handles. I would love to push sets of solid kettlebells, simply from a profit perspective, but I would be giving you my honest opinion.
3. Timing: I am finding that a solid warm-up with light Indian Clubs is essential, but I would be doing that for my Olympic weightlifting anyway. Then do some of the light exercises Vic recommends, with no more than 15 pounds per kettlebell. Then go right into progressively heavier poundages.
The USAWA Official Rulebook has the Crucifix in Section E8, which would correspond to the Top Exercise on Page 129 of Vic’s Book.
WEBMASTER’S COMMENT: TO ORDER KETTLEBELLS OR ANY OF THE OTHER FANTASTIC PRODUCTS OF ATOMIC ATHLETIC, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ Categories: USAWA Daily News
Crucifix – Part 2
November 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Crucifix Part 2 – Kettlebell Weirdness
Joe Southard performing a "perfect" Crucifix. This picture is from the USAWA Rulebook.
While a number a strongman contests have had some form of the crucifix hold, each one seems to be somewhat different, with the “made for TV” aspect seeming to be paramount. The USAWA Official Rulebook has the only “officially” written rules for a Crucifix Hold that I can find. If anyone can find anything else that would qualify, I would love to see it. That being said, I will assume that we are using the USAWA rules for the competition form of the exercise.
Three Training Tips
1. Start of extremely light: Vic Boff recommends that you start off with no more than 12 ½ pounds. I deferred to Vic’s experience, because he has never steered me wrong. Well, he was right again. Certainly, experiment light and then continue light for your first week or two of training, after getting some of the technique down.
2. Kettlebells Hang: Of course they do, you might say. Now is the time to read the USAWA Official Rule Book, Lift # E8. It can be downloaded from their web site. (Just a tip. I had several copies spiral bound: 1 for the gym, 1 for the office and 1 for the announcing table during contests. It has become a valuable reference tool.) The Crucifix can be done with either dumbbells or kettlebells. I don’t know which one is easier, but they are two different lifts, with the kettlebell version being the more interesting and dramatic, as they hang down when the arms are outstretched. As you start from the press lockout, with the palms facing each other, the kettlebells will hang down, increasing the leveraged force as they are lowered.
3. Dynamic Stretching: As I started doing training for the Crucifix I did my typical warm-ups with Indian Clubs. I am really glad I did. I have since also added curls. Those are done with light weight in a full range of motion, as a warm-up. I feel like this combination is really helping my lockout in my snatch as well.
For those of you unfamiliar with some of the terminology I have used here, you may want to check out Traditional Training Legendary Strength.
WEBMASTER’S COMMENT: TO ORDER KETTLEBELLS, INDIAN CLUBS OR ANY OF THE OTHER FANTASTIC PRODUCTS OF ATOMIC ATHLETIC, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Crucifix – Part 3
November 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Crucifix Part 3 – Questions about the Crucifix Lift
Actor John Saxon utilized Kettlebells to develop a symmetrical muscular build.
How about the lower body when doing the crucifix (iron cross)?
The official competition crucifix lift is properly performed with the feet together. The feet are brought together once the weights are brought together overhead and before the weights are allowed to descend. As you are learning the lift, don’t worry about the legs. Get the weights overhead and learn the upper body movements first. The Crucifix is an awesome movement for highlighting that old physical culture concept of symmetrically balanced physical development. You see this as topic of apparently huge importance in the older bodybuilding literature, as measured by the amount of print space devoted to it. However, from a practical issue, no where has it been better highlighted than during a Crucifix Lift. I thought the 2 Hand Barbell Snatch made this obvious, with press outs, spear fished barbells and other dramatic missed attempts, but it is even more obvious in the crucifix. No one in the Atomic Athletic Club has properly held out those weights, with their feet together, the first time. You will be surprised at how much of an impact the foot position will be, as you get closer to limit lifts. Once you get everything else nailed down, add in the foot placement.
Read the specifics of the competition lift in the USAWA Official Rule Book, which can be found on this website.
What is the best dumbbell for the crucifix? Man, that is a great question. I always believe that solid dumbbells are the best, for just about anything. Obviously, a solid dumbbell is terrible if you need to adjust it. For training purposes, I am not a big fan of Olympic sized dumbbells. They are so big that they really limit what you can effectively do with them. However, if you only have Olympic sized plates, they are clearly the cheapest way to go. I am a big fan of a rotating dumbbell as well, which is satisfied by the Olympic dumbbell concept. Standard sized equipment, plates and bars, are much more compact and they are cheaper than the Olympic ones. We sell a variety of bars, rotating handles, collars, plates and other equipment, including the kettlebell handles that I like for the crucifix. However, that may not be an invest you are willing to make.
WEBMASTER’S COMMENT: TO ORDER KETTLEBELLS, KETTLEBELL HANDLES OR ANY OF THE OTHER FANTASTIC PRODUCTS OF ATOMIC ATHLETIC, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Welcome Mat Meet
November 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Jarrod Fobes
MEET REPORT: 1st Annual Welcome Mat Meet Report
Mike Murdock and Grace Jividen at the 1st Annual Welcome Mat Meet in Colorado.
The first of what I hope to be many meets at Colorado Welcome Mat is in the books. The meet was an overall success, thanks in no small part to Mike Murdock whose experience as an official and a competitor was an enormous help. Besides Mike, every competitor was completely new not only to all-around weightlifting, but to weightlifting competitions in general. But don’t think there weren’t some talented athletes competing: Olympian and world SAMBO champion Grace Jividen made a last minute entry despite a persistent elbow injury. Grace set at least two records, and I think it’s safe to say that we will see a lot more of her in the USAWA. In her own words, “I’m hooked!”
The lifts contested were the Turkish Get-up, the Crucifix, and the Dumbbell walk. The TGU and Dumbbell Walk were especially popular with competitors and spectators alike. My friend and training partner Brandon Gurr even hopped in for some unofficial attempts at the Dumbbell Walk, ultimately beating my PR! The real star of the day for this lift though was Mike Cadwallader, who ran 100lbs at a bodyweight of 74kg, which put him in first place at the last minute by a two point spread. As disappointed as I was to see the best lifter award slip away from me, I have to say I was highly impressed. Incidentally, “Dr. Mike” is my chiropractor, and is the main reason that I’m able to even consider competitive weightlifting.
Every lifter who participated in the TGU did well and showed promise to do even better. Dr. Mike put up an impressive TGU at 80lbs, beating the previous best in the USAWA by 10lbs. I was able to set a new PR for myself and for the USAWA at 115lbs. (Don’t tell James Gardner, but I’ve got my eye on his record!) Grace pushed 55lbs, and this was only the second time she had done this lift! Young Frank Policky matched his PR at 45lbs and will only get stronger. Karena fell short of her PR by 5lbs, putting up 45lbs. But I happen to know she is addicted to this lift and I think we can expect more from her in days to come.
The Crucifix was all Mike Murdock, who set a new record at 76lbs. This was the noisiest lift of the day, with pops coming from the elbows, shoulders, and sternums of almost every competitor. This is tough lift that uses a lot of muscles that aren’t used to working together, and I think all of us novice lifters enjoyed trying to figure this one out. This being a smaller meet, all the lifters helped each other with loading and spotting when necessary. So far as I know this is the first all-around meet held in Colorado, and I was very happy to have six lifters. Several spectators and friends have promised to enter future meets now that the ground as been broken and they have an idea of what USAWA is all about. I really hope we can see this sport grow in Colorado.
MEET RESULTS
Welcome Mat Meet November 5th, 2011 The Welcome Mat/Gracie Judo Club Littleton, Colorado
Meet Director: Jarrod Fobes
Certified USAWA Officials (1 official system used): Mike Murdock, Jarrod Fobes
Lifts: Turkish Get Up, Crucifix, Dumbbell Walk
WOMENS DIVISION
Lifter Age BWT TGU Cruc DBW Total Points
Grace Jividen 47 65.4 55 36 48 139 164.2
Karena Fobes 36 76.7 45 36 58 139 137.1
MENS DIVISION
Lifter Age BWT TGU Cruc DBW Total Points
Mike 34 74.3 80 66 100 246 247.2 Cadwallader
Jarrod Fobes 34 84.7 115 70 78 263 244.4
Frank Policky 14 56.9 45 22 38 105 152.3
Mike Murdock 71 105.0 —— 76 63 139 151.5 NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in kilograms. All lifts reported in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted for bodyweight and age.
EXTRA ATTEMPTS FOR RECORDS:
Mike Murdock: Rectangular Fix 80#
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
USAWA Official Dress
November 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Dennis Mitchell competes in every meet wearing a singlet. This picture is from the 2011 USAWA National Championships.
One of the issues that has presented itself recently in the USAWA is the issue of the “official dress” in USAWA competitions or events. The USAWA has always been very lenient in what lifters wear in competitions. We allow lifters to wear tshirts and shorts, unlike most other lifting organizations. Most other lifting organizations I have competed in don’t allow a lifter to wear shorts and tshirt, but require the lifter to wear a singlet for competition. The only thing we insist on is that the lifters don’t wear supportive gear, like knee wraps or super suits. The thoughts of this go back to the ideas of our founder Bill Clark, who felt that lifting in shorts and tshirts is acceptable. I don’t have a problem with this either, but this “relaxed dress code” has lead to even more relaxed dress, and lifters have been wearing long sleeve tshirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and even jeans in competitions! I think part of this is the “change of times” in everyday life. It used to be that businessmen dressed in suits and ties for work everyday. Then along came casual Friday, and before we knew it EVERYDAY is casual Friday, and now I go into businesses and see people wearing shorts and tshirts to work! What has happened? It has been a gradual trend of decline in the acceptable code of dress. Now that is happening in the USAWA! I guess this is showing my age, because I still want to LOOK like a weightlifter in a competition, thus the reason I always wear a singlet. Most of the lifters my age or older do the same. I look at guys like Denny Habecker, Scott Schmidt, Dennis Mitchell – and these guys always look the part of weightlifters at meets by wearing weightlifting singlets, instead of some ratty old tshirt and sweatpants.
I’m going to go over some of the rules on official dress, which comes straight from our USAWA Rulebook.
SECTION VI. EQUIPMENT
2. The lifting uniform may be a one piece suit or it may consist of shorts and a shirt. The lifting uniform must not provide any support that would aid in lifting. 3. Upper body must be covered by a one piece suit, shirt or both. No tank tops are allowed. If a one piece suit is worn, the straps must be over the shoulders. 4. Lower body must be covered by a one piece suit or shorts. No sweat pants are allowed. The suit or shorts must not extend lower than the base of the quadriceps muscle. An undergarment is allowed to be worn under the suit or shorts, but must not provide any support that would aid in lifting. 5. Headgear of any kind is not allowed except for religious purposes. This would include stocking caps, ball caps, headbands, or any other covering of the head. 6. Lifting gloves are not allowed. 7. Lifting straps are not allowed. 8. Braces or supports on any part of the body are not allowed. This would include neoprene elbow and knee sleeves. An exception to this rule may be made by the officials if the lifter has proof that it is medically necessary. 9. Socks must extend no higher than the bottom of the kneecaps and must not be an aid in lifting. 10. Suitable shoes or slippers must be worn. They must not provide an unfair aid in lifting. 11. A belt may be worn and must not exceed 12 centimeters or 4-3/4 inches in width. 12. The lifter may be required to have his/her gear, which may include shoes, lifting belt, wrist wraps, and lifting attire inspected at weigh-ins. Approval of proper dress code will be determined by the Meet Director. Lifting attire which contains inappropriate language or images, is too revealing, sloppy in appearance, or deemed otherwise inappropriate by the weigh-in official or Meet Director is a violation of the USAWA dress code.
These rules pretty much “lay it out” what is expected. I truly believe that most of the violations are due to lifters just not being aware of what is required to meet the USAWA dress code. Very rarely do I feel there is any malicious intent by a lifter to “cheat” by violating these requirements. There is reasons behind all this and let me explain a few. Wearing long sleeve shirts is not allowed because some lifts require the elbows be locked. A long sleeve shirt could hide this infraction. The same thing applies to wearing sweat pants – if the knees are covered it makes it difficult for the official to tell if the legs are straight in lifts that require this. Headgear, like loose stocking caps or ball-caps, might impair the ability of an official to determine if a lifters head is flat on the bench, or against a wall in lifts like the strict curl. Obviously knee sleeves can be “lift enhancing”, but even if they were loose and non-supportive, they could undermine an officials view of the legs just like sweatpants would.
Read over article 12. Our rules allow a meet director to approve the proper dress, and if wanted, a meet director could disallow inappropriate dress. I had to do this at the National Championships where a young lifter was wearing tight fitting spandex shorts (like biker shorts) under his singlet. This undergarment was in violation of rule number 4, because it extended below the base of the quadricep. No harm was done, and he just took it off when I asked him. He was not aware that this was a violation. But in this meet the Zercher was contested, and wearing a tight fitting undergarment this low on the quadriceps would allow a lifter to rest the bar on the shorts instead of on the legs alone, which I feel would give an unfair advantage. My feeling is that all lifters should be required to wear singlets in competition, and not just shorts and tshirts. When I was throwing in the Highland Games kilts were required by all athletes in competition (outside of novice classes). All throwers “looked the part” of being a Scottish Athlete this way. By requiring singlets in the USAWA, all lifters would also “look the part’ of being a weightlifter. I welcome input and discussion on this topic in the USAWA Discussion Forum. I would like to know everyone’s opinion on this.
Speaking of improper dress code – it is time for another quiz. There are a number of pictures in our Rulebook demonstrating the USAWA lifts. Among these pictures there is a NUMBER of improper dress code violations (which obviously were overlooked in competitions because most of these pictures came from competitions). I have counted them up and was surprised at the number. For anyone who emails me the correct number of violations regarding the USAWA Dress Code among the pictures in the Rulebook I will send you a free USAWA Water Bottle. The deadline for this quiz is when I get back from the World Championships in Australia.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Trap Bar Training: Part I
November 28, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Al Myers doing a 650 pound Trap Bar Deadlift at the 2010 USAWA National Championships.
I have been training for over 30 years. I realized the other day that I have competed in 5 different decades. My first meet was in 1979, so I have competed in the 70’s, the 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, and 10’s. Not sure if that makes me proud or makes me feel old! When you do the same thing for many years you need to do things to “change it up” and stay fresh. Not only by putting new physical demands on your body but more importantly, in my book, staying fresh mentally. I do two things to try and stay motivated and avoid a rut. I will travel to other gyms to train to get ideas and I will buy new equipment.
About a year ago, I bought a trap bar. I had never really used one in my training even though it was available at a gym I used to work out at. I had just considered it kind of a gimmick. I mean, aren’t you just deadlifting? When I first got it, I had used it to do some shrugs, some jump shrugs, and some “frame carry’s” (think “farmers walk”). But funny enough….I didn’t deadlift with it. My offseason training switched over to my throwing season as a Highland Games athlete and for man years that meant lots of throwing and no lifting. What I’m setting up here is that I had a trap bar, but had not used it in the way it was intended….deadlifting!
Then, in July, I traveled to the Ledaig Highland Games held by Dave Glasgow. Dave also held a USAWA record day that same weekend. On Monday I traveled to visit Wilbur Miller and then Tuesday I headed to Al’s Dino Gym for the “Big Tuesday” workout. My plan was to work out with Al and “steal” some secrets! HAHA.
Workout day arrived and I planned on doing whatever Al did. Now, I have to say, this throwing season I have been following Al’s training advice (after all, he WAS a world record holding PROFESSIONAL Highland Games thrower before his USAWA days!) and lifting heavy while “in season”. Something I had not done for some time. I mean, really, why would I go to Al’s and do my regular lifts when I’m there to learn.
One of the lifts we did was the trap bar deadlift. At first, I did not do well with it. I’m a decent deadlifter with a 640lb lift to my credit and I had recently pulled 555 with just a little work. It was an ego buster, and I ended up with a 551lb lift while Al shot up to 700! But then we did sets and reps and I began to get a feel for it. I realized a couple of things so when I got home I did a 4 week cycle on the trap bar deadlift and pulled a nice 645lb lift. I was ecstatic! I know that it doesn’t compare with the 640 I pulled about 10 years ago, but I was still thrilled.
Next up: Part II Trap bar training and the “rules”.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Trap Bar Training: Part II
November 29, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Thom Van Vleck performing Trap Bar Deadlifts with the addition of 60 pounds of chains attached to the bar. Thom joined us at the Dino Gym for one of our "Tuesday Night Workouts" and discovered the FUN OF TRAP BAR DEADLIFTS. (photo and caption courtesy of Al Myers)
Now, to continue with the Trap bar, I learned a couple of things as I began to work this lift. First, I needed to start with the bar where the center of gravity was where it normally would be with a regular deadlift. Then, as I pulled up, I would shift that center towards the center of my thigh. The began to engage the hips more. Your “groove” might be different but it’s critical you play around with it and find it…it’s different than a straight bar for sure!!!!
My plan is to work this lift hard over the winter with a goal of 700lbs! I will let you guys know what I end up with, but the truth of the matter is that I’m as motivated about pulling again as I was 10 years ago when I got the 640 deadlift! When I got that lift I was on a quest for 700 but had worked for so long and so hard on doing deadlift after deadlift after deadlift I got burned out on heavy lifting from the floor. So it’s more more important to me the trap bar has captured my imagination and made me believe I can hit big numbers again. That’s the real gift of it. Maybe I’ll finally pull that 700! Even if it’s on a trap bar! So, try some trap bar pulls to spice up your training….and don’t forget, it’s a USAWA official lift so you can set records on it, too!!!!!
Rules for the Trap Bar Deadlift are pretty basic.
I9. Deadlift – Trap Bar
The rules of the Deadlift apply except a Trap Bar must be used. The Trap Bar must not be of the type that contains elevated handles.
Al Myers even has a two man trap bar! So you can go to the Dino Gym with your training partner and hit some big “two man” lifts.
So go “Trap” and see if your pulling power doesn’t come up!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
National Postal
March 11, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT:
2011 National Postal Championships
Dates: Between December 1st and December 31st, 2011
Entry form must be postmarked by January 5th, 2012
Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition Entry Fee: None
Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the Rule Book
Lifts:
Clean and Jerk – 2 Dumbbells
Curl – Reverse Grip
Jefferson Lift
For an entry form – 2011 National Postal Championships Entry
Categories: USAWA Daily News, USAWA Events |
World Championships
December 1, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Steve Gardner, IAWA President
Group picture from the 2011 IAWA Worlds Championships.
A great two days of action at the Belmont Sports Centre in Perth. The lifters had to perform 4 disciplines on Day One: 2 vertical 2″ bars lift, 1/H Dumbell Swing, Continental C+Jerk, Fulton Deadlift and Day Two: Cheat Curl, Push Press from the Racks and Zercher. The Overall Best Ladies Open and Masters winner was Jackie Giglia of Australia, The Overall Best Open Winner was Mark Haydock of Preston, England with Kris McIntyre of Australia in runner up position, The Overall Best Masters Winner was Steve Sherwood from Hull, England with Al Myers of the USA in Runners Up Position.
The battle for the Overall Champion of Champions, the Overall Best Lifter of the whole competition was Steve Sherwood from England, with Al Myers of the USA in second and Mark Haydock of England in third.
MEET RESULTS:
2011 IAWA World Championships Belmont Sports Club Perth, Australia November 19th & 20th, 2011
Meet Promoter: Peter Phillips
Recorder and Announcer: Steve Gardner
Officials: John Patterson, Mark Haydock, Paul McManus, Chad Ullom, Steve Sherwood, Denny Habecker, Dennis Mitchell, Frank Allen, Julia Phillips, Al Myers
Lifts: 2 Vert 2″ Bars (Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 Bars, 2″), 1 H Swing (Swing – Dumbbell, One Arm), Continental Clean and Jerk (Continental to Chest and Jerk), Fulton DL (Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip), Cheat Curl (Curl – Cheat), Push Press Racks (Push Press – From Racks), Zercher (Zercher Lift)
Lifters and Lifts:
Lifter VB Swing C&J FB Curl PP Zerch DL DL
Jackie Giglia 60 22-R 47.5 75 45 40 77.5
Lainie Connell 60 22-R 45 70 48 47.5 80
Anne 50 20-R 42.5 65 40 42.5 60 Whitehead Dennis 65 15-L 25 70 37.5 25 85 Mitchell
Hercules 45 12-L 20 60 30 12.5 45 Perryman
Steve 145 52.5- 85 150 80 77.5 150 Sherwood R
Denny 100 35-R 60 100 50 72.5 95 Habecker
Art Montini —– 15-R 37.5 77.5 32.5 35 80
Frank Allen 80 35-R 60 115 62.5 60 112.5
Robin Lukosius 120 40-R 70 110 60 65 140
Peter Phillips 140 64-R 100 140 85 90 170
Stefan 95 40-R 90 95 65 82.5 90 Polglaze
Glen Phillips 100 37.5- 70 90 60 70 90 R
Kris McIntyre 130 58-R 115 120 80 105 160
Esad Selman 100 37.5- 90 115 75 85 125 R
Steven Salis 100 50-R 110 120 95 100 130
Tom Edwards 160 52-R 95 160 92.5 95 150
John Mahon 140 52.5- 120 125 90 110 150 R
Chad Ullom 145 60-R 137.5 145 100 125 190 Al Myers 170 60-R 135 160 92.5 125 205
Samuel Trew 110 47.5-L 105 120 80 70 172.5
Mark Haydock 182.5 66-R 140 170 100 130 220
NOTES: Glen Phillips was the only lifter to change classes for record purposes on day two, weighing 81.2 KG on day 2. All lifts recorded in kilograms.
EXTRA 4th ATTEMPTS FOR RECORDS:
2 Vert 2″Bars – Anne Whitehead 55 kg 2 Vert 2″ Bars – Art Montini 50 kg 2 Vert 2″ Bars – Stefan Polglaze 102.5 kg 2 Vert 2″ Bars – Al Myers 185 kg Dumbbell Swing – Steve Sherwood 57.5 kg Cheat Curl – Steve Sherwood 83.5 kg Push Press from Racks – Anne Whitehead 45 kg Push Press from Racks – Steve Sherwood 78.5 kg Zercher – Jackie Giglia 80 kg Zercher – Lainie Connell 82.5 kg
OVERALL PLACINGS:
Womens Division
Lifter BWT Age Class&Division Total Points
Jackie Giglia – AUS 58.3 50 60 KG M50+ 367 644.0
Lainie Connell – AUS 67.0 41 70 KG M40+ 372.5 542.4
Anne Whitehead – 72.8 49 75 KG M45+ 320 477.2 AUS
Mens Division
Lifter BWT Age Class&Division Total Points
Steve Sherwood 78.1 60 80 KG M60+ 740 872.4 – ENG
Al Myers – USA 114.1 45 115 KG M45+ 947.5 793.2
Mark Haydock – 117.5 36 120 KG Open 1008.5 786.1 ENG
Peter Phillips – 109.9 57 110 KG M55+ 789 750.7 AUS
Kris McIntyre – 77.4 35 80 KG Open 768 750.3 AUS
Chad Ullom – 113.4 39 115 KG Open 902.5 715.7 USA
Tom Edwards – 103.7 40 105 KG M40+ 804.5 673.7 AUS
Denny Habecker 82.0 69 85 KG M65+ 512.5 647.7 – USA
John Mahon – 106.4 28 110 KG Open 787.5 645.7 AUS
Frank Allen – 88.0 69 90 KG M65+ 525 638.8 ENG
Steven Salis – 92.0 41 95 KG M40+ 705 638.4 AUS
Stefan Polglaze – 62.5 25 65 KG Open 557.5 626.9 AUS
Robin Lukosius – 96.9 58 100 KG M55+ 605 615.6 AUS
Esad Selman – 84.4 27 85 KG Open 627.5 584.3 AUS
Samuel Trew – 116.6 29 120 KG Open 705 551.7 AUS
Dennis Mitchell – 69.0 79 70 KG M75+ 322.5 525.1 USA
Glen Phillips – 79.9 41 80 KG M40+ 517.5 505.7 AUS
Art Montini – 85.1 84 90 KG M80+ 277.5 421.2 USA
Hercules 73.4 82 75 KG M80+ 224.5 362.2 Perryman – AUS
NOTES: Total is total weight lifted in kilograms. Points are adjusted points for bodyweight and age.
BEST LIFTER AWARDS:
BEST MENS MASTER – STEVE SHERWOOD BEST MENS OPEN – MARK HAYDOCK BEST MENS OVERALL – STEVE SHERWOOD BEST WOMENS MASTER – JACKIE GIGLIA BEST WOMENS OVERALL – JACKIE GIGLIA BEST LIFT ON COEFFICIENT – STEVE SHERWOOD
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Highlights of IAWA Meeting
December 2, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Steve Gardner
IAWA World Council Meeting – Friday 18th November – Perth, Australia
Confirmation of the 2012 IAWA International Events: World A/R Champs – Sat/Sun 6th/7th Oct – Salina, Kansas, USA – Promoters: Al Myers and Chad Ullom Gold Cup World Record Breakers – Sat 3rd Nov – Castlemilk, Scotland – Promoter: Andy Tomlin
Confirmation of the 2013 IAWA International Events: IAWA World Championships – Accrington, England – Promoter: Mark Haydock IAWA Gold Cup – Lebanon, PA, USA – Promoter: Denny Habecker
Acceptance of a new lift: A new lift in the Rule Book is E37 Power Row
Ammendment to an IAWA Lift: The following sentance was added to B 35 Bench Press Feet in the Air: No extra support bench or similar equipment can be used for extra leg support.
If you wish to have the updated IAWA(UK) Rule Book as of November 2011 including these changes, please contact Steve Gardner: [email protected]
Information on the 2012 World Championships Lifts from Al Myers and Chad Ullom: Lifts Day One: Reverse Curl / 1H C+Jerk BBell / Pullover and Press / Steinborn Lifts Day Two: 2 H Snatch 2″ Bar / 1 H Hacklift / Straddle Deadlift
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Goerner Deadlift
December 3, 2011 | Authored by Joe Garcia | Edit by Joe Garcia
MEET RESULTS
GOERNER DEADLIFT DOZEN PLUS ONE
Bill Clark, at 79 years young, pulling a 2-Bar Deadlift of 270 pounds at the 2011 Goerner Deadlift.
It is amazing the lengths that some people will go to in order to miss this event. Al ran off to some little contest in Australia, dragging Chad with him, Eric was chowing down on turkey, and from the looks of the website, Thom was writing more ‘fluff’ pieces. Everyone not here missed out on a fun day at Clark’s gym. When I drove up in the morning, Dean Ross and Mike Murdock were already there as was Bill Clark. Evidently, Dean and Mike had arrived in town around 3:30 AM, not wanting miss out on one of the coveted parking spots in front. We all weighed in, including Bill, who was on the platform for the first time in over a year. Even though his right shoulder would give him painful problems all day, he managed at least one successful in each of the thirteen lifts and sometimes a second and a third attempt. There were no fourth attempts taken during the day.
The day started out with the Thumbless Deadlifts. That is definitely a lift that you can go from greatness to humility in 5 lbs. One thing we elected to do during the day was to allow the lifter to do any of the lifts that he wanted in the order he wanted with the exception that the finger lifts were contested last. This way, the loading was kept to a minimum by the lifters-loaders-officials. That’s right, more multi-tasking at Clark’s gym. Next up was standard One-Hand Deadlifts, if any lift in the USAWA could be called standard. After finishing up with the one hand stuff, attention was turned to the two hand lifts. Dean pulled the biggest Reeves lift with a 275, could have done a bit more but took a little too big of a jump and was unsuccessful in his next attempt. I was happy with my 225 as I don’t remember the last time I did a Reeves deadlift. Not only did Dean do a great job of lifting, he also kept us entertained with his stories and jokes. Problem is that I think he believes most of them. After the Reeves, the 2 Barbell, Hack, Heels Together and Jefferson lifts followed. Finally, the dreaded finger lifts commenced. Everyone began with the Little Fingers Deadlift, then the Ring, Index, and Middle Finger, except for Mike, who had to go back and finish with an Index Fingers Lift. Everyone was grateful that Mary wasn’t around to show us up.
Dean Ross had the top Reeves Deadlift of the day, with this 275 pound lift.
The organization had elected to present Bill with both a letter of appreciation and a Lifetime Achievement Award. I was honored to read the letter to Bill and to present him with his well deserved plaque for everything he has done for the USAWA over the years. Bill also wanted everyone to know how much he appreciated the honor.
Results of the meet are listed below. Amazingly, I won the Goerner, a deadlift contest. I suppose that means I will have to defend it next year. MEET RESULTS
2011 Goerner Deadlift Dozen plus One November 26, 2011 Clarks Gym Columbia, Missouri
Meet Director: Bill Clark
Lifts: Deadlift – No Thumb, One Arm (left and right), Deadlift – One Arm (left and right), Deadlift – Reeves, Deadlift -2 Bars, Hack Lift, Deadlift -Heels Together, Jefferson Lift, Deadlift – Fingers, Little, Deadlift – Fingers,Index, Deadlift – Fingers, Ring, Deadlift – Fingers, Middle
Officials: Joseph Garcia, Bill Clark, Mike Murdock
Lifter Age Bwt DL Heels 2 Bar Hack Jefferson
Mike Murdock 71 234 225 270 135 185
Dean Ross 69 266 315 300 185 315
Bill Clark 79 235 225 270 185 185
Joe Garcia 58 203 315 300 275 275
1 Arm R 1 Arm L 1 Arm NT R 1 Arm NT L
Mike Murdock 135 135 115 115
Dean Ross 185 185 160 160
Bill Clark 160 160 115 115
Joe Garcia 275 275 205 205
Index Middle Ring Little
Mike Murdock 75 135 65 55 Dean Ross 120 170 120 95
Bill Clark 135 135 105 65
Joe Garcia 185 205 135 120
Reeves Total Points
Mike Murdock 205 1850 2004.1
Dean Ross 275 2585 2584.9
Bill Clark 135 1990 2282.0
Joe Garcia 225 2995 3158.1
NOTES: Bodyweights listed in pounds. All lifting poundages listed in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted points for bodyweight correction and age amendment.
Categories: 2011 Meet Results, USAWA Daily News
Wayne Smith Update
December 4, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Wayne Smith, long time USAWA lifter and even longer time member of the Jackson Weightlifting Club was recently featured by me in two part website article. Wayne also attended the USAWA Nationals hosted by the JWC in Kirksville this year. Wayne has many friends in the lifting world and I thought maybe some of you would like to hear the latest.
A couple of weeks ago Wayne was rushed the hospital. He was having some problems and they were very concerning. I went several times to check up on him and left with more questions than answers. The doctors just didn’t know what was going on with him.
Well, I have good news. I visited with Wayne yesterday and he is doing much better and appears to be on his way to recovery and has moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation unit. He was his old self again and was enjoying visits from three JWC members in one day. Wayne Jackson had made a visit, and then Wayne Gardner, then myself.
It is nice to know that we take care of our own and the friendships made on the lifting platform are often life time ones. We hope that Wayne will be back home soon and if you have a message for him, just let me know at [email protected] and I will make sure he gets it! He tells me he is not going to let this keep him from making his comeback in lifting! You have to admire the dedication.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Hot Stove Workout
December 5, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
A Hot Stove is where work gets done, and managing what's important means putting it up front or in back....managing your workout is the idea of this article.
I just wanted to share a workout plan I have for this winter. As most of you know, I do a lot of throwing in the Scottish Highland Games. Winter time for me is “off season”. It is a time where I am trying to build strength again. I also want to increase my conditioning and flexibility. In season, I do a lot of throwing, and in the process I get pretty burned out on it by the end of the year and it’s good to get back in the gym for some old school training. The first thing I need to tell you is that there is NOTHING I enjoy more than the adrenaline rush that comes with heavy lifting. I get a high that will last for days. Any hardcore lifter will know what I mean, that moment when the weight starts piling on and the goosebumps pop up on your arms and a chill runs down your spin and it’s “GO TIME”! I love it. But, as I get older I have to deal with a couple of factors: Recuperation and Injuries.
Because of the increased recuperation time that comes with age and the injuries my body has endured, I can’t hit the max attempts like I did 20 or 30 years ago. I have to be smart! Part of the problem is that I want to work my entire body at once and be cycling into heavy lifts that involve my entire body. So this year I came up with my “Hot Stove Workout”.
The “Hot Stove Workout” has my hitting the big numbers on a particular lift during my “Big Saturday” workout. This is when I’m hitting that adrenaline rush and feeling good about moving some heavy iron (heavy for me!). This is what I call my “Front Burner” exercise. I am also using that time to work on my Erector Spinae and hamstrings using the Reverse Hyper, swiss ball (leg curls), and leg curling on the Reverse Hyper (a little exercise I stole from Al Myers).
Then Sunday is my conditioning day. Right now I’m doing football agility drills with my son, who’s playing football in school, medicine ball drills, and tossing the pigskin around along with hitting the volleyball back and forth with my wife who’s on a volleyball league.
Monday is a day when I work on Grip, Neck, and Abdominal exercises, really going crazy on them. Then my “Big Tuesday Workout” I hit two exercised that are my “Back Burner” exercises. They are on their way to being “Front Burner” exercises and when one gets moved up, then another takes it’s place…destined to eventually make it to the “Front Burner”. I always have three exercises and I make sure I have one that’s a leg movement, one a pressing movement, and another that’s a pulling or back movement. It is also this day that I do any assistance work.
I then finish off with a set of 100 on the leg press. These are very explosive, I drive up on the toes, and I usually have to crawl out of the gym after that. By then I’ve worked out for 4 days and then I have three days to rest and get ready for the next Saturday. I enjoy this workout very much and for now, that’s all I need to keep me lifting. It doesn’t matter how great the workout is, if you don’t enjoy it or it doesn’t motivate you, then it’s the same as worthless.
By keeping a couple exercised on the back burner, using less weight, I’m able to be ready to switch them to the front burner. That way I’m always hitting something heavy on Saturday and not having to build up over time for a big lift. By lifting only once a week with over 90% poundages, I am able to recuperate and stay fresh. I hope my workout has given you some ideas for your own training. Everything I know about training I learned from someone else!!!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
JWC Around the World!
December 6, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Brian Hare, top Highland Games athlete sporting his JWC hat while doing some stone lifting in ICELAND!
I have had a lot of fun (and sometimes frustration) putting on meets over the years. One of the things I’ve enjoyed doing is creating new meet shirts, and sometimes hats for something different. I have also enjoyed seeing my shirts pop up at the most unusual places. Recently, Brian Hare, a top Highland Game thrower posted the above photo of him doing some stone lifting in Iceland wearing his JWC stocking cap.
Front and center, you will see Bob McConaughey sporting his JWC shirt, that year he set the masters World Record in the Bench Press with 744lbs at 242lbs bodyweight.
I also got one from Bob McConaughey, a top Powerlifter and Highland Games thrower where Bob was representing the Frantz Power Team but wearing a JWC shirt! I am not surprised when I’m in the local super market and see one of my shirts, but I was surprised when I was in Edinburg, Scotland and turned around to see one of my shirts! Sean Betz was wearing it before throwing in the Pro World Championships! Sean told me he took that shirt to every meet as he liked it as warm up shirt since it was roomy and had long sleeves. I have seen photos of him in it all over the place!
Hey, I can't resist running this photo of Tully one more time!!!!! Here's a JWC shirt showing up in California! This may be the most published photo in ever on the USAWA website!
I have many more examples and sometimes I know that a shirt may be worn just because it fits well, happens to be the only one clean, or just at the top in the shirt drawer! But whatever the reason, whenever I see it, it makes me feel pretty good and motivates me put all the negatives aside in running a meet and make plans for the next one. If you have one of my shirts and you end up wearing one in some cool or exotic location, send me a copy! It will make my day!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Randall Lift
December 7, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by John McKean
“GOOD MORNING!” was my response to son Sean’s query as to exactly what kind of rubber band longstrength warmup maneuver I was doing.
“Hey, I’ve been up for two hours now,” curtly replied the 29-year-old. “The hearing is apparently going quickly, old man! So what the heck kind of exercise is that, anyhow?”
“GOOD MORNING!” I responded.
“Geez,” howled Sean. “Senility is taking hold, too!”
Then I proceeded to give the sarcastic youth an iron game history lesson – the astounding story of Bruce Randall. During the 1950s Randall, a U.S. Marine, decided to bulk up to play football on his base team. He had access to perhaps the best weight room in the Armed Forces, and a superb coach in Chief Petty Officer Walter Metzler. Bruce found he gained bodyweight amazingly quickly as the Marine Corps supplied tons of free food (yes, a breakfast of 28 eggs, two loaves of toasted bread, several quarts of milk, and “extras” could get you “grand- slammed” out of Denny’s in a hurry), and his strength on basic all-round lifts skyrocketed. Soon Bruce forgot all about football, deciding he loved lifting far more; he challenged himself to see just how big and strong he could get. A little more than a year later he was up to 401 pounds bodyweight, with some equally huge training lifts such as a 392 pound military press off a rack, 45 degree incline clean and press of 410, 2100 pound half squat, and a 228 pound curl.
Bruce Randall showed a very symmetrical physique when he won Mr. Universe.
However, Bruce was a bit uncomfortable carrying around such bulk and, after leaving the Marines, actually did not have the free, unending food supply! So, never say die, he decided to discover what muscle hid beneath the flab and planned to enter the prestigious NAABA Mr. Universe event in London, England. One day at a New York gym, an infamous bodybuilding “trainer of champions” told him to his face, “NEVER!” Of course, 28 months later Randall became one of the biggest, shapeliest, and most defined contestants ever in winning the 1959 Mr. Universe (222 pounds bodyweight)! Incidentally, the bodybuilding mogul approached him shortly thereafter for a cover photo/story – Bruce smiled, waved his finger, and replied, “NEVER!”
Of interest to us in the USAWA, Bruce Randall did not employ standard bodybuilding exercises or routines, but had a natural inclination to heavy, always progressing standing presses, dumbbell bench presses, hack lifts, bent over rows, curls, and deadlifts. All OUR stuff! And his workouts were extremely sensible, rarely more than 3 sets of 3 to 6 reps for 4 or 5 lifts, even when at lower bodyweight and keying in on big time physique events. His upper arm size alone, with some of the most magnificent triceps ever, was indicative of results from extremely heavy presses, curls (100+ pound dumbbells) and French presses (a rarely contested all-round event).
Randall’s most famous lift, however, was the GOOD MORNING. Bruce specialized on this unconventional movement since, at first, he could squat almost nothing after breaking his leg in 7 places during a nasty accident (not lifting related).
As he approached his most efficient bodyweight of 380, Bruce had worked to a typical Good Morning session of 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps with 565! His top single was 685, back parallel to the floor, and a bare miss with a mind blowing 750 because the weight unexpectedly shifted!
To show the strengthening effects of the Good Morning, Bruce performed only 9 random singles in the squat over the months leading up to his bulkiest, yet achieved an easy, deep 680. And his deadlift hit 770. Both powerlifts were certainly world class during the 50s – without ever training them!
Bruce Randall executing his famous Good Morning lift with BIG WEIGHT!
In light of the recent inception of “strongman lifts,” I’d like to propose the “Randall Lift.” Certainly this event should rank right up there with the rack-based “Anderson Squat.” For, you see, Bruce Randall didn’t achieve his 685 Good Morning in the strict format of our USAWA rulebook. His lift often used a cambered bar and always bent knees. But he did get his torso parallel to the floor, even with a (necessary) rounded back. Heck, as Al Myers once pointed out, it’s near impossible anyway to judge (or do!) a Good Morning with completely straight legs and back. But I believe this lift’s inclusion will be an important tribute to a legendary, almost forgotten, true ALL-ROUNDER.
Typing this during early evening, Sean zoomed past, heading toward our garage gym. “What’s up, kiddo?” I questioned.
“GOOD MORNING!” he yelled. “I’m gonna be Mr. Universe!”
Yes, senility strikes early in this family!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Proper Dress Code Continued
December 12, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
I'm not perfect either when it comes to violating USAWA dress code. Last summer at the Ledaig Record Day I wore a cap when lifting, which is a violation of proper dress. But then again, I was lifting outside in the blinding sun and 110 degree scorching temperatures!! It was a matter of survival!!
Before I left for Australia, I ran a blog on the proper dress code in the USAWA. I also issued a “quiz” to everyone on how many violations of dress code that are in the pictures in the USAWA Rulebook. Well, I almost forgot all about that quiz! But before I get to who the big winners are, let me say a few more things on this issue. I appreciate the comments on this subject in the discussion forum. Most of those that posted felt that our policy of allowing lifters to wear shorts and t-shirts is acceptable, and requiring singlets for competition would be too much to ask. I do feel that this is the way the majority of USAWA lifters feel on this, even though personally I think the requirement of a more formal attire of wearing singlets is the way to go. But I will always try to represent the feelings of the MAJORITY and thus why the feedback on the discussion forum is so important.
Next, I would have to say I was slightly disappointed in the number of responses to this quiz. I only got THREE RESPONSES!! No one was “dead on” with correctly identifying the number of violations in the pictures, but our USAWA Official’s Director Joe Garcia was the closest with identifying 24 violations of dress code. The actual number of violations is 28! That is out of 102 pictures total in the USAWA Rulebook, which comes out to over 25% of the pictures containing some type of dress code violation! As I said earlier, most of these pictures are from competitions, so you can tell this is something that has not been addressed in the past. How can we expect to impose tighter dress code standards when our Rulebook pictures portray the complete opposite?!?! The next closest answer came from Eric Todd, who gave an answer of 23. Eric also pointed out that he himself was in violation in BOTH PICTURES of himself in the Rulebook, and he felt that alone should gather him a prize. Let me tell ya ET – prizes like that are called a BOOBY PRIZE in my book, but since you showed the modesty of pointing that out to me (and now everyone else in the World!) I’m going to send you a water bottle as a prize for being a repeat violator! Third in line was the latest of USAWA Officials Lance Foster – who correctly identified 20 dress code violations. I’m going to send you a water bottle as well Lance because I appreciate you taking the time to participate in this little quiz. Now see what the rest of you missed out on – everyone who entered was a winner! I didn’t even count the few pictures of lifters wearing shorts that appeared below the base of the quadriceps, which is a violation, because I felt this would be a judgement call on my part. I ONLY counted pictures that contained OBVIOUS INFRACTIONS.
I don’t want to appear to be going “overboard” on this issue, but I do think it is something that should be mentioned at meets to lifters when they are in violation of proper USAWA dress code during this upcoming year, because I truly believe the reason lifters are in violation is because they just don’t know better. I know there are much bigger (and important!) issues regarding our Rulebook, rules, and policies than this!
One last note on this – I want to point out the lifters in the Rulebook who have 100% compliance with dress code. This list only contains lifers who have the three maximum pictures of them in the Rulebook. These lifters are: Joe Garcia, Scott Campbell, Denny Habecker, Frank Ciavattone, Chad Ullom, John McKean, Al Myers, and Kevin Fulton. However, I WON’T point out the lifters who have the most violations!!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Steve Sherwood – the new WORLD CHAMP
December 13, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Steve Sherwood (left) receiving the OVERALL BEST LIFTER AWARD from meet director Peter Phillips (right). IAWA President Steve Gardner is in the center.
Last month at the IAWA World Championships in Perth, Australia a new World Champ was crowned. The new champion, Steve Sherwood, is very deserving of this title. Steve is an amazing lifter, and he sure doesn’t look his age. He is listed at 60 years of age, but physically he doesn’t look a day over 35! Steve hails from Hull, England and has been lifting his entire life. Recently at the 2011 Gold Cup held in Burton, England Steve was inducted into the IAWA(UK) Hall of Fame. I was honored to be able to be in attendance at this event. Steve has a great all round lifting resume – but surprisingly this is his FIRST TIME being crowned the Best Overall Lifter at the World Championships. He was third overall in 2010 in Glasgow, and third overall at the 1994 Championships in Burton. Before that, he was second overall in the 1993 World Championships in Walpole, MA and 5th overall at the World’s in Twickenham, England. You will notice that there has been a “break in the action” for Steve of several years of World Competition, but he has returned to the platform with the same success as when he left. He has been close so many times to winning the overall, so I congratulate him on finally achieving this highest yearly honor in the IAWA. The way he lifted in Australia I predict it won’t be the last of overall victories for him. I really thought at the time that his margin of victory (872 pts to my 793 pts for second place) might be the largest of All-Time in the IAWA World Championships, but after doing some research on this, I see that it is the THIRD largest margin of victory. In 2008, Rick Meldon won by a margin of 85 points, and in 1995 Bob Hirsh won by a margin of 122 points.
On top of all Steve’s success as a lifter, he is one of the most modest guys I have ever met and a true sportsman. He is the perfect example of what a CHAMPION should be like. Congratulations Steve!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Lance Foster – New Official
December 15, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Lance Foster completing the Dumbbell to Shoulder at the 2011 OTSM Championships.
I want to welcome Lance Foster to the “growing list” of USAWA Officials. Lance just recently passed the Officials Test and now is certified to officiate within the USAWA for the next three years. Lance has been very involved this past year with the Old Time Strongman Competitions that have been promoted by the USAWA. He competed at my Dino Gym Strongman Challenge last January, and then again at the OTSM Championships hosted by Thom Van Vleck in Kirksville, MO.
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
RULE CHANGE – Feet in Air Bench Press
December 16, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
These are the two ways the Feet in the Air Bench Press must be performed - legs straight off the bench (left) or with legs crossed (right). No longer is a support bench allowed to rest the lower legs on. These pictures were taken at the 2006 USAWA National Championships. Dennis Mitchell is lifting in the picture to the left, with head official Bob Burtzloff seated behind him. Al Myers is lifting in the picture on the right, with head official Thom Van Vleck looking on (and intently I might add!)
One of the IAWA rule changes that happened at the 2011 IAWA World Meeting involved the rule for the Bench Press – Feet in Air. This proposed change was presented by the IAWA Technical Committee at the meeting, chaired by IAWA Technical Committee Chairman Dennis Mitchell. The “issue” involved disallowing a support bench during the lift, which has been allowed under previous IAWA rules. The USAWA rules have NEVER allowed the legs to rest on another (a totally separate) support bench. This issue was discussed at this past years USAWA meeting as well. These past couple of years rule changes have been presented to the USAWA membership to bring our rules (the USAWA rules) into compliance with IAWA rules. You would be surprised how many differences there are. All of the other changes were passed at this meeting, but the USAWA membership voted NOT to allow a support bench to rest the legs on. This decision led to this being presented to the IAWA Tech Committee to see how the IAWA membership felt on it. There was some opposition, but the majority in attendance felt that a support bench was not within “the intent” of the feet in the air bench press. Thus the IAWA rule is now changed, and the USAWA rule and the IAWA rule is the same on this now. The bottom line – NO SUPPORT BENCH!
As I’ve said before, there are many subtle (and some not so subtle!) rules differences between the USAWA Rules and the IAWA Rules. These rules differences can make some lifts harder or easier, depending on which rules you follow. I would say DEFINITELY having a support bench to rest the lower legs on is an advantage as it would provide more balance to the lifter resting on the bench during the press. That is one of the biggest difficulties in the feet in the air bench press, maintaining proper body position as you press the weight up. The interesting thing is that this difference between the IAWA rules and the USAWA rules came about because of how the original rule was interpreted. The original rule stated that the “ankles and heels” must not be supported or resting on the floor. This was interpreted by IAWA as meaning the lower legs WERE allowed to be supported by a support bench, whereas the USAWA made the assumption that NO PARTS of the legs could be supported. Again, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, THERE SHOULD BE NO INTERPRETATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE RULES, everything should be “spelled out” and very clear in what is allowed and not allowed!
But this leads to an even bigger issue. What about all the IAWA World Records that were set by lifters resting their feet/lower legs on a support bench? Should these records still count? And how would you go about identifying these cases? It will definitely take a much better effort to break one of these records in the IAWA World Record List from now on. Also, what about all of the other differences between the IAWA rules and the USAWA rules where rule differences might give an “added advantage” to set World records? These are issues that need to be worked out in my opinion.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
National Venue Update
December 17, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Average Broz Gym - the venue site for the 2012 USAWA National Championships.
Last week I was fortunate to be in Las Vegas on business, so I took a little extra time to go visit with John Broz, owner of Average Broz Gym and venue site of the 2012 USAWA National Championships next summer. For those of you that have been to Las Vegas, you are fully aware of the “hustle and bustle” of activity that goes on “around the clock” in Vegas. But when I got to John’s Gym several blocks south of the strip, it was in a very peaceful neighborhood. His Gym is located very close to the airport and is very easy to get to. I am still in the process of finding a host hotel close by, of which details will be released later when this decision has been made.
John Broz (left) and Al Myers (right)
I was completely overwhelmed by Average Broz Gym. It caters pretty exclusively to Olympic Weightlifters, and has numerous platforms with full weight sets for each. John has a major investment in bars and weights, and he has only the BEST STUFF – Eleiko bars and Eleiko bumpers. It will be BY FAR some of the best equipment we have ever lifted on in any of our National Meets. John is a very seasoned Olympic Lifter and Coach. I greatly enjoyed our conversation together – I could have visited with him all day long but he had coaching responsibilities to attend to so I didn’t want to take too much of his time. It didn’t take me long to realize that this venue will be the PERFECT SPOT to celebrate our 25th USAWA National Championships!
During our conversation we found that we knew several people in common. The “brotherhood of weightlifters” is truly a small fraternity and there are alot of links between individuals. John is originally from Cleveland. He grew up lifting weights coached by the well-known allrounder and weightlifter John Schubert. John had several stories of his experiences with John Schubert and it was obvious to me that John had been influenced quite a bit by him. John was just recently in Cleveland following John Schubert’s death, and was involved in liquidating Schubert’s lifting equipment. He plans to set up a display in his gym featuring some of John Schubert’s gym equipment. So you can tell John is familiar with All Round Weightlifting and has even done several of the All Round Lifts in the past himself! When I told him the lifts we would be doing, he knew exactly what I was talking about.
I am very excited and looking forward to this meet. It will be the first time the USAWA has ever promoted a meet in Las Vegas. Start making plans now to attend because this is an All-Round meet you will not want to miss out on!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Classic Starlet’s Legs
December 18, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Pudgy Stockton demonstating leg exercise number 4 using Iron Boots.
Beautiful pair of legs? Thank you girls, show me a pair from old Hollywood. Yes, some girls also call some men’s legs beautiful. So, if you have always wondered how a guy like John Grimek, or the Hollywood starlets of the 1940’s and 50’s got those great gams, they all did it with the same exercises.
Check out these hot photos of Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton, from the March 1947 issue of Strength & Health magazine. She was much more than a lifter and writer. She was a trainer as well. In addition to doing the standard free weight leg exercises, like squats and lunges, she promoted extensive use of the Iron Boots. Great legs do not require a room full of exercise machines, but the are the result of great education.
Here is the secret. Folks, they used Iron Boots for an extensive list of exercises. Abbye shows 5 Iron Boot exercises in this one article alone. Any Cross Fit girl should be thrilled to have Abbye’s legs, abs and entire physique.
Pudgy and the swinging leg exercise number 8.
Exercise #8: “Leg Swinging” is one of the more unusual and forgotten exercises. I love this Iron Boot exercise because in addition to the benefits mentioned by Abbye, many Atomic Athletic customers have reported that it is good for reducing sciatic pain. For those of you unfamiliar, sciatica can have a number of causes, but it is very basically any kind of tenderness or pain associated with the sciatic nerve that runs down the back of the leg.
Here is how you perform the exercise. “Lie on back. Place arms out to the sides in a straight line with the shoulders. Keeping the knees locked – raise the right leg (toes pointed) and try to touch the left hand with the right toe. Do not allow the upper body to move or twist– the movement should be in the hips.” Then make sure to do the opposite leg as well, obviously doing the opposite movements, left toe to right hand. Make sure the leg moves in a nice slow high arc.
If you would like to see photos of all eight exercises, you will need to check out the Atomic Athletic Facebook page and go to the Notes section. You will find this Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin, as well as many past bulletins.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Otto Ziegler, 1919 to 2011 December 19, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Chad Ullom did a 200 pound Ziegler Clean at the 2009 Dino Gym Challenge. This is the top mark of ALL-TIME in the USAWA Record List.
Recently Otto Ziegler of Baytown, Texas passed away. He was 92 years old when he died, but throughout his life made a huge impact on weightlifting and even All Round Weightlifting. Most of us know that he is responsible for his name being tied to a very unusual lift in the USAWA – the Ziegler Clean. But his contributions to Olympic Weightlifting go far beyond what he has done for the USAWA. In 2003 he was inducted into the Weightlifting Hall of Fame. He has coached hundreds of lifters throughout his life, served as a meet director numerous times, officiated Olympic Meets, conducting weightlifting clinics and seminars, along with a long career of lifting himself.
Bill Clark tried for years to get Otto involved in the USAWA, but to my knowledge he never competed in an USAWA event. However, he was a longtime subscriber to Bill’s Strength Journal and incorporated several of the all round lifts into his training. In an old Strength Journal, Bill highlighted some of Otto’s All-Round poundages (from the Strength Journal Vol.IV.No.5 – 1993). Bent Press – 190 LH and 180 RH
Dumbbell Swing – a pair of 75 pound bells for 20 reps.
Pinch Grip – Used a 68# two inch smooth plate and held it for 12 seconds.
One legged Clean and Jerk – at age 63, did 110 pounds.
Leg Press – Made 12 reps with 370 pounds on a six-foot bar which he took off a wooden rack and, like Ed Zercher, handled it free-legged.
However, probably the most impressive thing he did was when he did a 154 pound clean balancing a 2.5 plate on his head at age 58. Thus the invention of the Ziegler Clean! This lift by Otto Ziegler was performed in 1977, and was included in the old Mo-Valley Record List. It was the top mark lifted in this record list, but the number of lifters with Ziegler Clean marks was pretty small. Wonder why???? I have done this lift in an USAWA competition before and my greatest fear was that the plate would fall off my head during the lift and land on my foot, breaking a toe in the process!
The Ziegler Clean was one of the original IAWA/USAWA official lifts. However, it has been contested only a few times in competition. At this past Gold Cup in England, Scottish lifter David McFadzean did a Ziegler Clean as his Gold Cup lift. He made 62.5 kilograms, which I thought was quite impressive. Maybe next time he does this lift he will exceeds Otto’s best mark of 70 kgs?!?!
I’m pretty sure when Otto Ziegler did this lift the first time he never imagined that this strange and unorthodox lift would become a fixture lift in the USAWA/IAWA and it would carry his name as his legacy in the organization. But “hat’s off” to Otto Ziegler (or in this case “plate’s off”) for all that he has done for weightlifting with his lifetime of contributions. He will be missed, but never forgotten. I issue a challenge to all All-Rounders that in your next workout do the Ziegler Clean in his remembrance!
(webmaster note: I just realized that all these years we have misprinted the spelling of Otto Ziegler’s name. In our Rule Books, both the USAWA and the IAWA, we have printed his name as “Zeigler”. I will make an effort to get this mistake fixed.)
Categories: USAWA Daily News Time to RENEW MEMBERSHIPS
December 20, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
It’s that time of the year that lifters need to think about renewing their USAWA memberships. Membership in the USAWA runs for the calendar year, January 1st to December 31st - so you might as well renew now so you can enjoy a full year of USAWA membership. I plan to list the new 2012 membership roster on January 1st and if you send me your dues before that time you will be listed with the “join date” of January 1st beside your name. That’s something to be proud of! So far I have recieved only a handful of 2012 membership dues: John Wilmot, Dean Ross, Dale Friesz, Jim Malloy, Al Myers, Bill Clark, and Dennis Mitchell. Last year I recieved 16 memberships before the start of the year. Let’s try to beat that mark this year!
Membership applications are located on the left side of the homepage, under the heading “Forms and Applications”.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Zercher’s Zercher Lift Record Broken!
December 21, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Art Montini breaking Ed Zercher's USAWA record in the Zercher Lift.
Often when someone’s record is broken, it just “disappears into obscurity” and no one really cares or thinks about it anymore. All the attention goes to the one who BROKE the record. But something historic happened recently when it comes to “broken records” that I think needs pointed out to everyone. At the 2011 IAWA World Championships in Australia, Art Montini broke Ed Zercher’s record in the Zercher Lift. I mention this because this was the LAST USAWA RECORD held by Ed Zercher in the Zercher Lift, the lift named after him. In 1988 at the Zercher Strength Classic, Zercher did a 160 pound Zercher lift in the 80 plus age group, 90 kilogram weight class. Art broke his record with a fine lift of 176 pounds. This act removed an All-Round lifting legend from the USAWA Record List! Lately, Art has broken several of Ed’s records which have been “on the books” for over 20 years, but none as meaningful as this one. Art now owns 10 age group/wt class records in the Zercher Lift, which is a record in itself.
I still have not seen a picture of Ed Zercher performing his signature lift. But at least now I have a picture of THE MAN who broke Ed’s Zercher Lift record. I predict someday Art Montini will have legendary All-Round lifting status equal to or above that of Ed Zercher, and this picture will be worth BIG BUCKS!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Ice it down!
December 22, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Thom enjoying a post-competition "hydrotherapy" session following last summers Ledaig Highland Games. A cold group bath with your sweaty buddies is a great way to enhance recovery following a hard day of competition! (photo courtesy of Al Myers)
Ok, I’m sure by now half of you are thinking I mean beer….but I mean your body! I’m talking about what some call “hydrotherapy” or the used of heat and coolness to reduce inflammation, soreness, and recovery times between workouts. Now, there’s a ton of stuff out there on the good, ol’ world wide web and if you found this, you can find that. I’m just gonna give you some basics.
First, what led to this was me getting old. After numerous injuries over the years, broken bones, etc. it’s all catching up to me. when I was young I just worried about working out, now I feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to develop a good work out routine so now I’m more focused on how I can recover more quickly….especially with age! I remember Mickey Mantle once saying he wished he’d taken better care of himself when he was younger. Well, Mickey was past his playing career when he said that but for those in the USAWA our playing career is never over. You can make a big difference.
Before your workout, be sure and spend some time warming up. My warm up time has probably tripled from my 20’s. I have a special routine that I do and I pay attention more to my preworkout diet, load up on fluids all day, and I don’t push the time…..when I’m ready and I’m ready and not before. I also use anti- inflammatory type medication (Ibuprofen, sodium naproxen, etc.).
After the workout, ice the areas you’ve worked out down. My knees (especially my right one) tend to swell after my squats. I have found that after the workout I have a heat pad and an ice pack that I alternate back and forth it does wonders. I will also take a hot and cold shower, start warm, take it down, the up, then down. I end it with cold water. In the winter, I’ll take a snow bath alternating with the hot tube or sauna. If you don’t have a hot tub or sauna, get a chair for you shower and do the “poor man’s sauna”. Throw a large beach towel over you, you can get that water incredibly hot without burning and the hot steam will fog the mirrors for a square mile!
I also bought something called “the stick”. Basically, it’s a human rolling pin. I work the areas I can myself and then I recruit my wife to get the areas I can’t. I use this thing to the point of it being painful, but afterwards I feel like a million bucks….kind of the poor man’s deep tissue massage.
Well, I hope these few things get you to thinking……and if all else fails…..ice that beer down while you ice down!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
Records, Records, Records
December 23, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
The year is coming to an end and the opportunities to set any more USAWA records for the year is over. Sure there is still the National Postal Meet, but the results won’t be reported for it until after the first of the year. In my heart I knew this had to be a good year for the USAWA when it came to “broken records”. We have had more events than normal and membership has swelled to a level that has not been seen in a long, long time. So I did a little “counting” in the USAWA Record List and what I found was, VERY INTERESTING!
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to all members in the USAWA who have set new records within the past year. You are now part of a RECORD BREAKING YEAR. 758 new USAWA records were established in the USAWA Record List. This now stands in the NUMBER ONE spot of ALL-TIME! Now this is a count of only the “records on the books” at this time – not the ones established per year as when old records are broken they disappear from the current list. I also want to mention that in order to set a USAWA Record now you must do it in front of a certified official. There were several “other marks” done this year at record days and postal meets which could have been records, but weren’t because they weren’t officially judged. This pulled down the record count for the year, which in the past would have been higher when there were no guidelines on this and “ANY OLE RECORD” was put into the record list. I’m proud that we have made this year the BEST EVER and have done it with TOUGHER RULES!!
TOP 10 TOTAL RECORD YEARS
RANK YEAR RECORDS 1 2011 758
2 2005 675
3 2002 654
4 2000 563
5 2010 553
6 2006 540
7 2003 518
8 1995 458
9 2004 448
10 1999 434
This brings us to the INDIVIDUAL record counts next. With a year like this, you would think that the individual record counts would have been increased as well. I have not reported on individual counts since last July, when I announced the two latest members of the CENTURY CLUB (lifters who hold over 100 USAWA Records) – Rudy Bletscher and Chad Ullom. Well, the list is still the same lifters, just different count numbers. There is STILL the 21 members in this exclusive CENTURY CLUB. Our Prez Denny Habecker still leads the list and the RECORDS RACE with his 410 records, which gives him a pretty comfortable lead over Art Montini at 392 in second place. The “top ten” is still the same lifters as it was the last time I did the count.
CENTURY CLUB
RANK LIFTER RECORDS
1 Denny Habecker 410
2 Art Montini 392 3 Al Myers 320
4 John McKean 258
5 Joe Garcia 239
6 Dennis Mitchell 229
7 Noi Phumchaona 214
8 Frank Ciavattone 212
9 Bill Clark 206
10 Bob Hirsh 201
11 Howard Prechtel 171
12 Dale Friesz 143
13 Jim Malloy 135 tie Scott Schmidt 135
15 Ed Schock 134
16 John Monk 123
17 Mary McConnaughey 117
18 Chris Waterman 114
19 Rudy Bletscher 108
20 Chad Ullom 104
21 Joshua Monk 101
This lead me to thinking just who set the most records in 2011? So I did that count as well and below is the TOP TEN record setters of 2011. I was quite surprised to see Mike Murdock listed with 60 records! That made me question his total count so I recounted it and he is still short of the CENTURY CLUB. Mike has been competing in the USAWA for over 3 years now – so how can that be?? Well let me tell you why. I have lifted in LOTS of meets/record days with Mike and he is constantly breaking his OWN RECORDS. Mike – that doesn’t help you one bit in your overall count. You need to “go after” records you don’t already own buddy!!!
TOP 10 RECORD COUNT FOR 2011
RANK LIFTER RECORDS
1 Al Myers 83
2 Mike Murdock 60
3 Denny Habecker 40
4 Joe Garcia 31
5 Dean Ross 30
6 Rudy Bletscher 24 tie LaVerne Myers 24
8 Art Montini 22
9 John McKean 20
10 Dennis Mitchell 19
I also want to mention that the USAWA Record List is now over 10,000 line items long! That is A LOT OF RECORDS! We owe a huge thanks to the USAWA Records Director Joe Garcia for keeping this list up to date for us. Joe has maintained this list for over 20 years!
Categories: USAWA Daily News |
HOW DAD SAVED CHRISTMAS December 24, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit
BY DAVE GLASGOW
A TRIBUTE TO FRIENDSHIP
IN 1959, MY DAD, JOHN, WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH ‘KIDNEY PROBLEMS’ WHICH I LATER FIGURED OUT WAS PROSTATITIS. HE WAS RELEASED HOME AND WAS RECOVERING WHEN HE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL. DAD HAD A FRIEND, NAMED MELVIN, WHO HAD A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN BURDEN, KS. BUT ALSO WAS A LONG HAUL TRUCKER. NOW, IF YOU THINK THIS IS A STRANGE COMBINATION, YOU DID’NT KNOW MELVIN!! HE WAS NOT SCARED OF WORK AND HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING TO EARN A BUCK!! IT SO HAPPENED THAT MELVIN WAS TRANSPORTING A LOAD OF CHRISTMAS TREES FROM MINNESOTA TO WINFIELD FOR SALE IN LOCAL STORES. UNFORTUNATELY, HE BLEW AN ENGINE WHILE ENROUTE HOME AND WAS STUCK IN MINNESOTA, SOMEWHERE.
“JOHN, CAN YOU BRING ME AN ENGINE FROM OUR SHOP IN BURDEN?!” MELVIN PLEADED. “MELVIN, I JUST GO OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!!” LONG SILENCE. “WELL, I WILL SEND JEAN (HIS WIFE) WITH YOU. OKAY??” LONG SILENCE. DAD WAS TRYING TO LET MELVIN DOWN EASY. THIS WAS A TIGHT SPOT! YOU SEE, DAD AND MELVIN WERE CLOSE FRIENDS. DAD WAS ADAMIT IN THE BELIEF THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE CARE OF FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS. HOWEVER, HE WAS STILL WEAK AND NOT AT ALL WELL. BUT, A FRIEND WAS A FRIEND!!
“OKAY, MEL, “ DAD SAID, “TELL JEAN I WILL BE THERE IN AN HOUR.”
SO, DAD AND JEAN LOADED UP A 348 CHEVY TRUCK ENGINE INTO A BRAND NEW 1960 CHEVY EL CAMINO AND OFF TO MINNESOTA THEY WENT!! BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE, MEL HAD THE TRUCK IN A SMALL SHOP AND THE ENGINE OUT, READY FOR THE FRESH ONE TO BE INSTALLED. BACK ON THE ROAD, HE WAS HOME LATE THE NEXT DAY. CHRISTMAS WAS SAVED!! ALL WAS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD.
THAT’S HOW DAD SAVED CHRISTMAS, 1959. MORE IMPORTANT, THAT’S HOW MUCH DAD VALUED HIS FRIENDS.
Categories: USAWA Daily News
All Round Lifting: The Big Brother Version December 26, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Al Myers
Last month at the IAWA World Championships in Perth, Australia, several of us rented a beach house together. I organized this beach house rental for a couple of reasons – to save a little money and also to spend some time with a few of the masterminds in the organization. Six of us spent close to 10 days living together – myself, Chad Ullom, USAWA President Denny Habecker, IAWA President Steve Gardner, English All Round lifting sensation Mark Haydock, and the MAN OF STEEL and all-round lifting legend Art Montini. This gave me the perfect opportunity to “pick their minds” and hopefully “steal” some secret lifting information from them. I liken myself to that of Robin Hood – but instead of stealing moneyI like to steal ideas from the rich and give to everyone else (ok – I won’t call you poor!). But I was also worried that this living arrangement would turn into an episode of BIG BROTHER in which we would be at “each other’s throats” by the end of the stay! I envisioned the alliances – the Americans versus the Brits (of which I knew ahead of time we would have the numbers on this one), the Wily Veterans (Denny, Steve, & Art) versus the Newbies (Chad, Mark, & myself), or the Drinkers versus the Nondrinkers (which would be pretty much everyone versus Art!!). Who would be the first one voted out of the house? Luckily, no “drama” ever developed throughout the week so I can’t report on any fights or anything like that.
But I did learn alot. Like I said, I spent every moment trying to steal some important secret from my roommates. And like Robin Hood, I plan to share with you everything I learned from these guys. I consider these guys the “movers and shakers” of All Round Lifting. Steve is closing in on 12 years as IAWA President and many, many years as the IAWA(UK) President. He has been involved in the sport for over 20 years. Denny is our USAWA President and filled with secrets – it’s just that he doesn’t always talk alot about things and I have to “pry” information out of him. Mark was the 2009 IAWA World Champ and I knew for sure he knew something that would be to my benefit in my training. Art is the “most seasoned” of all these guys and for sure he had something “to give up”. Now with Chad, well let’s just say, I’ve already stole all of his secrets, which isn’t much. I planned to strategically just use him for distraction purposes to give me “a little one on one” time with my targets.
Steve feels "right at home" in a brewery or a pub. And YES - Steve has a drink in each hand, drinking both at the same time.
When you live with “your competitors” for a week you really learn something about them. My primary focus of this investigation was with Steve. He is a born leader, takes charge in everything he does, and I was hoping to find the secret of his sucess or perhaps a weakness in his personality. Well, I only found a couple, and they were weaknesses. Just say I was dissappointed! First, he snores like a sailor blowing a fog horn. It didn’t take the rest of us long to realize that his sleeping arrangement needed to be a FAR DISTANCE from the rest of us. We put him in a room on the other side of the house which only was close to Denny’s room, and that was on purpose as well, because Denny was suffering from some bad case of bronchitis and was coughing non stop. He sounded like a dog with kennel cough. I often had to get up in the middle of the night (if you must know it was to pee) and the bathroom was close to their rooms. I listened for several minutes to these two “barking in the night” and I swear they were in unison with their nightly sounds. I think Denny was doing the harmonizing.
The only other weakness I found with Steve was his passion for beer. Now I’m not saying he is a drunk, he just enjoys his barley beverage. Chad and I even set up “a trap” for him to see if he would drink anything. We bought this really nasty beer that we wouldn’t even drink, and left it in the fridge. Sure enough, Steve finished off the six-pack while the rest of us watched in amazement. He even said he LIKED IT! He’s a passionate beer connoisseur.
I caught Mark reading his secret training book during the meet!
Another of my “targets” was Mark Haydock. After watching him smash a couple of Chad’s World Records at the Gold Cup, I knew he must have some lifting secrets. It took me all week but I finally found out the reason for Mark’s lifting success. I caught him reading Steve Justa’s book ROCK IRON STEEL. I knew immediately that had to be his secret training program – why else would he have carted that book the entire way from England to Australia??? A couple of times I “took a peak” at this secret book of his when he wasn’t looking. Chad even snuck the book of to the private room a few times to read it. I bet Mark was rereading that book for meet motivation!! I got to get that book now so I will know Mark’s secret training programs. But I will say this about Mark, I had the feeling that he was studying me as well. He kept asking me questions that I was uncomfortable in answering. I felt like he was trying to steal MY SECRETS! He also bought this porridge that he was letting on as the “secret of his strength”. I had it one day for breakfast and it about made me puke. I think he was setting me up like I did Steve on the beer. But Chad had the porridge EVERY DAY convinced it would make him stronger. Everyone needs to have a gullible friend like Chad.
Like I said, Denny is a “tough nut to crack”. He often just “sits back” and laughs along with everyone else’s jokes, and never really contributes any jokes of his own. But I also found Denny’s secret to his strength during this week. Even though he may limp around and look like he needs help getting out of a chair, Denny is INDEED a very conditioned athlete! The gimpy persona is just a hoax. He acts this way just so his competition doesn’t take him too serious. I marveled at how he worked this to perfection at the meet against his arch rival, Frank Allen. Now, how do I know this? Well, after the meet Chad and I had planned to take a day trip to Rottnest Island, a small island off the coast of Perth. We planned to spend the day bicycling around the island, a distance of over 30 miles and up and down many hills. Denny asked to join us, and at first I was thinking this might be an issue. I was initially worried that he wouldn’t be able to “keep up” with Chad and me and we would need to call in the rescue unit. But after the day’s big bike ride, in which was as easy for Denny as a “walk in the park”, I knew he was just faking us out all the times in the past when he would wobble around like a rookie on rollerskates. On the ferry ride back to Perth, I asked him how he was in such great shape and he told me that he used to ride his bike 100 miles a day!!! What??? I’m still “tossing that around” in my mind. Just visualizing Denny in my mind biking 100 miles makes my heart go into palpatations. It was at that point that I decided I wasn’t going to admit to Chad and Denny that a couple of times I had to get off my bike and walk it up a couple of big hills.
With Art, I already knew his secret of his strength, and it just doesn’t work for me. I discovered it a couple of years ago when I stayed at his house for a meet in Ambridge. It involves getting up really, really early to train (3-4 AM) and then eating donuts afterwards. I’m going to save that secret for later in my life and then “pull it out of the bag” when I need it. But I will say this about Art, he acts MUCH YOUNGER than his biological age and there must be something to that as well in his secret to success on the platform. I should also mention Art’s special spaghetti, which must have something to do with his lifting longevity. I have had it before and he made it for us in Perth. Art makes some of the BEST spaghetti I have ever tasted.
When it comes to icecream, Chad is the expert. He will sample taste every flavor before making his choice!
Who did I forget? Oh Chad. Well like I said earlier, Chad has no secrets when it comes to training. But I do know his main weakness – ICECREAM! We had to make several stops during the week for icecream and if he keeps this up I will not have to worry about him because he will be out of my weight class and get KILLED on the Lynch Formula! There are other things about Chad - but they are blood oath stories so I won’t tell.
I will say that week in Australia was one of the most fun weeks of my life!!
Categories: USAWA Daily News
The Worlds Strongest Man
December 27, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Dennis Mitchell
Vasily Alekseyev
There have been many men who claimed to be the worlds strongest man. Vasiliy Ivanovich Alekseyev was born January. 7,1942 in the village of Pokrovo-Shishkino, Soviet Union. During his reign as heavy weight world and Olympic champion he was the world’s strongest man. He was never a small or sickly child. At the age of 12 he was working as a lumberjack, and at the age of 14, he stood 6′ tall and weighed 200 pounds. He started training with weights at the age of 18 under the guidance of Rudolf Plyukfueldor, his first and only coach. Most of his career he coached himself. He stated that he had no set program, trained when he wanted to and how he wanted to. Often his workouts were quite unorthodox.
In 1970 he competed in his first world championships, held in Columbus Ohio, U.S.A. At this meet he became the first person to clean and jerk over 500 pounds (501.5). In 1971 he continued setting records, setting 27 world records. He continued setting records, and winning a total of eight world championships and two Olympics. Over the next seven years he set a total 80 world records, including a 1,322.76 pound total (600 Kg.) In his prime he stood 6′1″ tall and weighed 357 pounds. His best lifts were, a 521.39 pound press, a 418.87 pound snatch, and a 564.38 pound clean and jerk.
After his competition days were over he coached for a while but soon left this. Alekseyev passed away November 25, 2011, at the age of 69, in a Munich Germany hospital where he was being treated for a heart condition.
Categories: USAWA Daily News MIM
December 28, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by John McKean
“Oooh, Hon, how sweet – you remembered the nickname my family gave me when I was young!” purred my wife, Marilyn.
I noticed she was staring at a crumpled piece of paper I’d recently started scribbling on, that carried only the title “MIM.” So, thinking quickly, I replied “Yep, ya caught me. I was just penning you a little love note!” For certainly I would’ve lost this year’s batch of her famous Christmas cookies had I mentioned that the note was the nickname, and to be the recording of my current training routine, which stood for “Monkey In the Middle”!!
John McKean training a backdown set, or as he calls it, a monkey set, with added band tension.
The MIM style workout refers to the middle-weight sets or “monkey,” and is my latest version of the “backdown set.” I learned about backdowns during the 1960s from famous Pittsburgh powerlifter Bob Weaver. Big Bob was one of our first National superheavyweight champions, using his 365 pound bulk to establish the U.S. record total and a national squat record of 807 – long before supersuits or other supportive gear, and when judging was STRICT. Bob typically would start his training squats with a set of 5 with 135 pounds on the bar, and add a pair of 45s for every set thereafter, until it stopped him. Then he’d reduce to a couple of hundred pounds lighter and bang out a few FAST sets – this was, of course, the backdown work. By the way, an amusing incident of his progressive training – Bob most often didn’t pay attention to the total amount of weight continually stacked on and once found, after the fact, his final set to be 855; yes, he got stuck with no spotters around. But, the experienced squatter had a trick he used for such emergencies – he’d quickly frog-hop forward and shove the bar backwards (he taught this to me – it really worked and was actually more reliable and safer than half awake spotters!). Trouble was, ole Bob had his back to a big window on the second floor of the Oakland (uptown Pittsburgh) YMHA – it went right through the glass and a massively loaded, plate clanging Olympic set tumbled to the sidewalk below! Fortunately, the horrific crash was on a small, little used side street at night, so no one was nearby! Not that any of their cars were parked down there either, but the Y’s directors weren’t exactly laughing!
Anyway, MY “backdown” is what I consider the MAIN building set(done as “rest- pause” singles), as this is where I place bands over the barbell for “speed singles.” Usually used for training our various all-round deadlift type lifts, I begin a session with a non banded double using a medium weight, go to a heavy single (not a limit but enough to cause a bit of a strain!), then backdown to a weight right in the middle of those two sets for band work. I start these “monkey sets” with a normal initial pull, but then try to accelerate through the finish. These sets actually feel springy and easy, since they follow the heavy single for the day, yet are actually more resistant due to the extra band stress. Since they begin easier off the floor, I am able to “trick” the body into a harder, faster lift! Each subsequent middle weight single seem to become more vigorous and speedier! An important footnote – if I’d not use a heavy free weight single beforehand, the monkey speed singles couldn’t be performed as efficiently with quite as much weight.
Pavel's new book EASY STRENGTH
However, don’t go crazy with band speed singles. I find 2 to, at most, 5 banded- bar singles will do the job. In fact, in the brand new book EASY STRENGTH by Pavel and Dan John (Dragon Door Publications), Pavel mentions a similar banded deadlift routine that I’d once given him. He wrote that the speed singles seemed just too easy and merely 5 of them were probably only good for old men (like me!!). But after his first workout he learned the hard way that this is a MINIMUM quantity, high quality routine (he stuck to 5 or 6 thereafter and claimed he was so strong with such little work that it seemed like “cheating”!). For that matter, throughout the entire EASY STRENGTH text the authors continually stress the extreme value of employing minimum reps and sets for optimum strength gains. It’s one of the few teaching tools that elaborate on TRUE strength strategies for athletes, as the old time lifters employed – our all-round forefathers!
“By the way, Hubby,” cooed Marilyn. “What were you gonna tell me in your love note?”
“OH,” said I. “Just those three little words you always like to hear!”
“Really?” she gushed.
“Yep,” I whispered, ” Bake them cookies!”
I never learn.
Categories: USAWA Daily News | One Arm Clean & Jerk
December 29, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit by Thom Van Vleck
Bob Burtzloff, one of the greatest of all time on the one arm Clean & Jerk. You can tell that Bob is lifting this from a racked position, one of the two ways to complete the lift.
The USAWA National Championships have been set for Las Vegas, Nevada next June. One of the lifts that will be contest is the One Arm Clean & Jerk. This lift is a difficult lift so you can’t start working on this one too early! This lift takes a lot of balance, strength, and flexibility that not all lifters may have without some practice. Let’s take a look at the rules:
The rules of the Clean and Jerk apply with these exceptions. Only one arm is used to perform the lift. The bar is gripped in the center by one handand may be cleaned in front or cleaned to the side. Any grip may be used by the lifter. The bar must be cleaned to the same shoulder as the lifting arm in a single movement. During the clean, the bar must not touch any part of the legs or torso. In receiving the bar at the shoulder, the bar must not make contact or rest on the shoulder or chest opposite to the lifting arm. The center of the sternum is the line of lineation. The non-liftinghand may be supported on the thigh or knee of either leg but must not contact the bar, platform, or lifting arm during the lift or it will be a disqualification. With a single distinct effort the lifter will jerk the bar to arms length above the head. The non-lifting hand must be clear of the body upon completion of the lift. The bar may be in any degree of rotation when overhead. Once the bar is overhead motionless, the lifter’s body in an upright position, the feet parallel and in line with the torso, an official will give a command to lower the bar. Both hands may be used to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar is returned to the platform under control.
So, assuming you know the basic rules of the Clean & Jerk, you are ready to do a One Arm Clean & Jerk. Now, there are two ways that I know of to complete this lift. One involves pulling the bar into a rack position and jerking it out of that rack position just like a regular two hand Clean & Jerk. Another is to lift the bar and catch it to the side with the bar at a 90 degree angle to the body, this method may work best for those who lack flexibility. Below is a great photo of Bob Burtzloff showing that method.
Bob Burtzloff setting the Best One Arm Clean and Jerk Record in the USAWA. This was done at the 2004 Dino Gym Challenge with a lift of 175 pounds.
Now, one final word of advice. I know when I was a kid, I did some one arm cleans. I was taught, to pull high and then use the free arm to help rack the bar. In other words, you ended up in a position at the finish where it looked like you had done a two hand Clean, but the bar had popped free of one hand. This is NOT ALLOWED in the rules. The first time I thought of attempting this lift I did not read the rules carefully and this impacted my lifting considerably. Not only did I not lift what I had planned, but I was not prepared to lift in any other way. So learn it, practice it and we’ll see you in VEGAS!!!!! Categories: USAWA Daily News
Hack Squats for Olympic Lifting
December 30, 2011 | Authored by Al Myers | Edit by Roger LaPointe
Roger LaPointe getting ready to pull a Hack Lift.
The old school strongmen had some really innovative ways of training. Sometimes you did a lift to force someone to learn technique, they just happened to get strong at the same time.
Where did I read about this one? I have no idea. Yet, I remember reading that a deadlift, which “started from the floor and behind the calves” was helpful in learning the clean. Whoever wrote that was absolutely correct.
Use the same barbell that you will be using to do your cleans. Use the same hand position on the bar. Here are some of the things that the Hack Lift will force you to do.
1. High Chest 2. Narrow grip will make you have narrow foot position off the floor 3. Curling your wrists 4. Pulling the bar back
Try doing three hack lifts then immediately do three power cleans with those ideas in mind. Don’t worry. You do not even have to do super heavy weight in the Hack Lift to get those benefits for your cleans.
Live strong, Roger LaPointe
Categories: USAWA Daily News
Inspiration for the Inman?
December 31, 2011 | Authored by Thom Van Vleck | Edit
By Thom Van Vleck
In Indonesia, men walk down into Mount Ijen, an active volcano, to haul out sulfur. They will carry an average of 100kg out for several kilometers as a way to make a living. One of the most diabolical lifts in the USAWA is the Inman Mile. It’s so different you have to wonder where Jerry Inman came up with the idea for this! Let’s review the rules:
D17. Inman Mile The lifter will take a bar onto the shoulders with a weight equal to 150 per cent of the lifter’s bodyweight. The lifter will then carry this weight a distance of one mile. Gait is optional. Stopping to rest is allowed, but neither the lifter nor the weight may be supported in any manner. The bar must not be touched by any assistants once the mile has begun or it will be a disqualification. The bar must stay on the back the entire mile. The lifter may be handed refreshments during the mile. Records will be kept for time.
It’s different to say the least. I often wonder where someone could have come up with such a test of strength and I have even questioned if this is more endurance than strength.
The other day I was watching a travel show. I enjoy seeing different parts of the world. In this one they were talking about men in Indonesia who go down into and active volcano called Mount Ijen. They load up baskets with sulfur and haul them up and out of the volcano. They make it a point to spend as little time as possible in the volcano because of poisonous gas so usually once they are loaded they beat a hasty path out! They claimed they would not rest until they got out of the volcano and this was “well over a kilometer”. Their loads average around 100kg or 220lbs. I would estimate these men weigh in the neighborhood of 150lbs on average. The should some of them with their shirts off and they had unbelievable trap development, I assume from letting the weight ride on the shoulders.
It got me to thinking…..was this the inspiration for the Inman mile? Maybe someone can tell me what it is and while this likely is not…you can certainly see where it could be! If it is, I’m glad they didn’t include dodging poisonous gas and it being all uphill in the rules….this seems hard enough! I think this lift is safe from any records from me but I’d like to see it done. http://www.noplanes.com/2010/03/sulphur-miners-of-mount-ijen-active.html
Categories: USAWA Daily News